Individual entrepreneurship orientation, intention and entrepreneurial career choice among UNIKL HTVET students

The main purpose of this study is to determine the relationship of individual entrepreneurial orientation and intention among Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) Higher Technical Vocational Education and Training (HTVET) students towards their entrepreneurial career preferences. Specifically, it aims at investigating the mediating effect of entrepreneurial intention on the relationship between individual entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial career choice. The motivation for this study is driven by the lack of findings in the literature concerning the relationships between entrepreneurial orientation and intention of HTVET students, which are believed to influence one to choose the entrepreneurial career path. Due to this reason, the researcher intends to investigate the relationships amongst the variables that may better explain such relationships specifically concerning the HTVET students. Accordingly, this study uses the Social Cognitive Theory to map and position the possible relationships between the variables in the conceptual framework. The study utilizes a self-administered questionnaire, which was randomly distributed to 440 Bachelor of Engineering Technology students at Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL). 265 questionnaires were returned and usable for analysis. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyse the relationship between the related variables in the study. The results reveal that individual entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial intention have a significant positive impact on the entrepreneurial career choice of UniKL HTVET students. The findings further show that entrepreneurial intention mediates through individual entrepreneurial orientation on the entrepreneurial career choice of UniKL HTVET students. Finally, managerial, policy and theoretical implications, as well as directions for future research, are also highlighted

How High School Science-related Experiences Influenced Career Persistence

The events of 9/11 brought into focus two ongoing trends that were present before this tragedy and have continued since: 1) The United States needs more scientists if it is to ensure its freedoms and maintain its economy. 2) The number of scientists in the ¿pipeline¿ is declining because of the diminished presence of foreign scientists (they are wanted in their own countries), the under-representation of minorities and women, and the reduced numbers of students able and willing to take on the scholastic rigors necessary for a science or engineering degree. Though much has been written about improving science education, and numerous projects have been conducted to promote it, few education researchers have questioned the scientists themselves about the experiences, practices, and people that positively influenced them, particularly during their pre-college years. Towards this end, thirty-two scientists were interviewed in order to address four research questions: 1) How did practicing scientists¿ personal relationships with their science teachers influence their decision to pursue a career in science? 2) What pedagogical methods (e.g. lectures, demonstrations, ¿hands-on¿ work, problem solving, small groups) used in their high school science courses, if any, played a significant role in propelling certain students towards a career as a practicing scientist? 3) What high school science-related support structures (e.g. labs, equipment, textbooks, technology), if any, played a significant role in propelling certain students towards a career as a practicing scientist? 4) What high school science-related educational activities (e.g. science fairs, clubs, summer internships), if any, played a significant role in propelling certain students towards a career as a practicing scientist? Some of the scientists reported that they knew they were headed towards a career in science before they even entered high school, while others did not make a decision about a science career until after they had graduated from college. The prevailing conviction, however, was that the encouragement from others (though not exclusively by teachers), the excellence of teaching (regardless of pedagogical style), and the richness of science related experiences were the most influential factors in either maintaining or initiating a persistence in science towards a career