A System Dynamics-Based Model for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Entrepreneurship Courses in Higher Education

Abstract

This study aimed to develop a comprehensive model for evaluating the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education courses in higher education by identifying, prioritizing, and dynamically modeling the factors that determine their effectiveness. This applied, descriptive-survey study employed a mixed qualitative-quantitative design. Data were collected through a literature review, exploratory interviews, and a questionnaire. First, a research synthesis was conducted to identify the principal factors, components, and indicators associated with the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education, while the exploratory interview findings informed the development of the quantitative instrument. The identified components were subsequently weighted and prioritized using the Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP) based on pairwise judgments. In the next stage, causal relationships among the variables were incorporated into a system dynamics model developed in Vensim using a stock-and-flow approach. Structural and behavioral tests were employed to assess model validity, and sensitivity analysis and simulation were performed to examine system behavior under alternative conditions and to identify appropriate educational policies. FANP results indicated that managerial skills had the greatest contribution to entrepreneurship education effectiveness, with a weight of 0.411769, followed by individual skills (0.291013), experiential skills (0.206090), and business skills (0.089656). The overall consistency ratio was 0.0903, below the 0.10 threshold, confirming acceptable consistency of the pairwise judgments. At the subcriterion level, opportunity identification, ambiguity tolerance, and risk-taking; organization and team building, group activity, and learning about business; opportunity recognition and training in real-world environments; and project management, future-oriented leadership, and business planning received the highest priorities within their respective dimensions. System dynamics simulation further demonstrated that the simultaneous development of all four skill domains generated greater effectiveness than concentrating on only one or two dimensions and produced stronger long-term improvements in entrepreneurial intention and behavior, innovation, organizational performance, and the entrepreneurial environment. The effectiveness of entrepreneurship education in higher education is a multidimensional and dynamic phenomenon that requires the integrated development of managerial, individual, experiential, and business competencies.