Muhammad Hasan, Siti Nurhaliza, Nurjannah, Inaya Sari Melati, Retno Mustika Dewi
In response to the rising demand for entrepreneurial competence in the digital economy, this study explores how self-directed entrepreneurship education fosters digital literacy and shapes technopreneurial intention among Generation Z students. Guided by the Self-Directed Learning Theory, the Job Demands–Resources Model, and the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the study examines the direct effects of self-directed learning on digital business literacy and digital financial literacy and the mediating roles of these literacies in forming technopreneurial intention. A quantitative survey of 698 Indonesian university students was conducted, with data analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that self-directed learning significantly enhances both forms of digital literacy, which in turn exert strong and positive influences on students’ intention to engage in technopreneurship. Theoretically, this research contributes by integrating psychological and behavioural frameworks to explain entrepreneurial readiness in digital learning contexts. While centred in Indonesia, the study’s implications are relevant to higher education systems across Southeast Asia and broader Asian regions facing similar challenges in building entrepreneurial and digital capacities. The findings highlight the importance of creating digital learning ecosystems that promote learner autonomy and practical digital competencies, equipping students for evolving roles in technology-driven entrepreneurial environments. © 2026 National Institute of Education, Singapore.
Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Makassar, Makassar, Indonesia; Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Semarang, Indonesia; Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Surabaya, Indonesia
