THE NEED FOR SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION FOR TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MALAYSIA

Social entrepreneurship is an essential aspect of modern education, equipping students with specific skills and mindsets to address social issues. Integrating social entrepreneurship into the secondary school curriculum in Malaysia, particularly in the technical and vocational fields, is crucial as it opens up vast career opportunities. Moreover, the incorporation of social entrepreneurship education allows students to learn how to solve social problems effectively. However, to date, social entrepreneurship education has mainly been concentrated at the tertiary level. Therefore, this study aims to explore the necessity of social entrepreneurship education at the school level in Malaysia, focusing on Form 4 students in technical and vocational fields. The main objectives of this study are to identify the need for social entrepreneurship education and assess the entrepreneurial intentions among Form 4 technical and vocational students in Malaysian secondary schools. The study employed a descriptive quantitative approach involving 368 students. Data were collected through questionnaires using a 7-point Likert scale. Findings indicated that the majority of students understood the concept of social entrepreneurship and supported the need for a formal course in this field at the secondary school level. Although exposure to social entrepreneurship activities was limited, students demonstrated positive intentions towards social entrepreneurship. These findings reinforce the need to cultivate and equip students with social entrepreneurship education within the early stages of the Malaysian education system.