Gender Differences in Civic Engagement and Entrepreneurial Intention among Technical College Students: Moderating Effects of Age and Educational Level

Abstract

This study examined gender differences in civic engagement and entrepreneurial intention among technical college students in Oyo State, Nigeria. Employing a descriptive survey research design, data were collected from 285 students across three selected Government Technical Colleges using, self-developed structured questionnaire titled the Civic Engagement and Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (CEEIQ). Descriptive and inferential statistics, including independent samples t-test, Pearson product-moment correlation, and Two-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that both civic engagement and entrepreneurial intention were at a high level among the students population. Whilst no statistically significant gender difference was found in civic engagement (t = 0.938, p = .349), male students demonstrated significantly higher entrepreneurial intention than their female counterparts (t = 2.914, p = .004). A strong positive relationship was established between civic engagement and entrepreneurial intention (r = 0.614, p = .000). Age and educational level significantly moderated the gender gap in entrepreneurial intention but not in civic engagement. The study recommends introduction of gender-sensitive entrepreneurship education programmes within technical colleges, particularly targeting female students, to address the observed motivational disparities and harness the demonstrated synergy between civic participation and entrepreneurial development.