A MODEL FOR INCREASING VOCATIONAL STUDENT ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTION: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND MODERATING ROLE OF FAMILY ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Abstract

This study examines the drivers of entrepreneurial intention (EI) among Vocational High School (SMK) students in Indonesia, given the high unemployment rate among its graduates. It tests a moderated mediation model explaining how Entrepreneurship Education influences EI through the mediating role of Social Media while also considering the conditional (moderating) role of the Family Environment. The study utilized a quantitative cross-sectional design. Data were obtained from 165 SMK students in Tangerang City, Indonesia, with sample adequacy confirmed via a priori power analysis (G*Power). The statistical method involved Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4 to test the hypotheses. The study's findings suggest that entrepreneurship education significantly strengthens entrepreneurial intention. Social media was a meaningful mediator, translating formal learning into entrepreneurial motivation. Furthermore, the family environment negatively moderates the relationship between social media and entrepreneurial intention (p = 0.023), indicating that social media becomes more influential in shaping EI when family support for entrepreneurship is low. This study extends entrepreneurial intention literature by identifying social media as an informal learning mechanism within a moderated mediation model. Limitations of this study include the cross-sectional design, which limits causal inference, and a sample concentrated in one city (Tangerang), which may affect generalizability. This study provides a comprehensive understanding by jointly analyzing digital learning (social media) and family dynamics (family environment) in a developing country context, where such research remains scarce. The findings offer practical insights for vocational education stakeholders, emphasizing that curricula should be enhanced by integrating social media as a complementary learning platform, especially for students with limited family support.