Demographic Differences in Entrepreneurial Intention of Senior High School Entrepreneurship Students in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines

This study investigated the level of Entrepreneurial Intention among Grade 12 Senior High School students enrolled in a Private Non-sectarian School in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines, who completed the Entrepreneurship subject in School Year 2023-2024 and examined significant differences in entrepreneurship intention based on monthly household income, sex, and family engagement in business. Utilizing a quantitative descriptive design, data were collected from 222 students selected via stratified random sampling using academic tracks as strata. A validated and reliable adapted questionnaire measured entrepreneurship intention on a 4-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, preceded by normality testing, were employed for analysis. Results indicated a high overall level of entrepreneurial intention, with the strongest agreement for the desire for autonomy or wanting to be their own boss. A significant difference in entrepreneurship intention was found based on monthly household income suggesting socioeconomic background influences aspirations within this cohort. However, no significant differences were found based on sex or family engagement in business, indicating equitable entrepreneurship intention levels across genders and challenging the assumed primacy of family entrepreneurial exposure. The findings suggest that the formal entrepreneurship curriculum successfully fosters high entrepreneurship intention, potentially mitigating traditional advantages linked to family background, but highlights the need to address the gap between intention and perceived preparedness and support students from lower-income households.