ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENT DETERMINANTS AMONG EARLY CHILDHOOD GRADUATES IN MALAYSIAN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The persistence of graduate underemployment in Malaysia has necessitated a strategic shift toward entrepreneurship as a vital career pathway for economic resilience. This study investigates the determinants of Entrepreneurial Intent (EI) among final-year Early Childhood Education (ECE) graduates, specifically examining the interplay between Internal Drive (motivation and interest) and External Barriers (perceived knowledge and capital literacy). Grounded in Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the research employed a descriptive quantitative design, sampling n=212 students at a pioneer Malaysian private university. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify perceived priorities and cognitive gaps. Findings reveal a state of cognitive fragmentation regarding entrepreneurial catalysts; while skills (18.87%), motivation (17.94%), and interest (16.98%) were ranked with near-equal weight, a significant 30.18% of respondents categorized these drivers as unrelated or indeterminate. Regarding external barriers, respondents demonstrated sector-specific realism by prioritizing start-up capital for payroll (25.0%) and facilities (21.22%), yet a notable 20.75 capital literacy gap emerged. Furthermore, graduates identified problem identification (24.06%) and decision-making (20.29%) as the most critical knowledge domains, reflecting an awareness of the executive functions required for market entry. The results suggest that while latent internal drive exists, the transition to active intent is hindered by perceived competency and financial barriers. The study concludes that Malaysian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) must move beyond theoretical electives toward integrated, problem-based learning (PBL) and sector-specific financial modeling to effectively bridge the intention-action gap.