Abstract
Entrepreneurship education (EE) is increasingly recognised as a vehicle not only for cultivating entrepreneurial intentions but for fostering the self-awareness, aspirations, and inspiration from which entrepreneurial intentions emerge. While empirical research examines skills, attitudes and outcomes, less attention has been paid to the teaching approaches that inspire EE students’ learning and future-oriented decisions. Drawing on inspiration theory and a developmental pathway linking self-awareness to entrepreneurial intention, this empirical study examines the pedagogical approaches that inspire students to engage with entrepreneurship as a meaningful career option. Using a mixed-methods design, we combine multiple regression analysis with iterative content analysis of qualitative feedback. Quantitative findings show that inspiration from the course and from the topic of entrepreneurship significantly predict students’ entrepreneurial intention. Qualitative analysis identifies three core pedagogical approaches of lectures, in-class activities, and assessments as central to students’ inspirational experience, with action-oriented, collaborative, and real-world-connected approaches generating the strongest positive responses. We contribute to higher education research on pedagogical approaches that inspire students’ learning and career trajectories. A pedagogical design that incorporates an experiential or activity-based approach and mirrors real-world practice helps broaden students’ autonomy in career planning. Implications for pedagogical design, faculty development, and institutional policy are discussed.