In an era where the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have become a global imperative, understanding how to nurture sustainability-driven entrepreneurs is more critical than ever. This study investigates how students’ knowledge of the SDGs influences their intention to pursue sustainable entrepreneurship, drawing on Social Cognitive Theory as the overarching framework. The research addresses a gap in the literature by examining the mediating roles of self-efficacy and strategic thinking, and the moderating effect of perceived social support in this relationship. A mixed-method approach was employed. In-depth interviews, focus group discussion and pilot test were applied to formulate and refine measurement scales. Then, a quantitative analysis of data collected from 665 university students in Hanoi, Vietnam was conducted. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that SDG knowledge positively affects both self-efficacy and strategic thinking, which strengthen sustainable entrepreneurial intention. Notably, both of the cognitive factors serve as significant mediators in the knowledge-intention relationship. Furthermore, perceived social support moderates the direct link between SDG knowledge and entrepreneurial intention, indicating that supportive environments enhance this connection. This study contributes to the current theory by integrating strategic thinking as a cognitive mechanism within the Social Cognitive Theory framework and identifying boundary conditions under which SDG knowledge translates into entrepreneurial intentions. These findings offer practical implications for educators and policymakers seeking to design effective SDG-focused curricula and support systems that foster sustainable entrepreneurship among students.
Vu et al. (Thu,) studied this question.