The Pathway From Learning Engagement to Innovative Entrepreneurial Intentions in MOOCs: Exploring the Chain Mediation of Self‐Efficacy and Outcome Expectations

ABSTRACT Innovation and entrepreneurship education has become a global priority, driven by the need for innovation‐led national development and the imperative to reform and enhance the quality of higher education. As a pivotal vehicle for delivering such education in the digital era, Innovation and Entrepreneurship MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have shown significant potential in shaping students' entrepreneurial intentions through learning engagement. Grounded in the framework of Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), this study investigates the influence of learning engagement on innovative entrepreneurial intentions among 1409 higher vocational students, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of self‐efficacy and outcome expectations. The findings reveal that learning engagement not only has a direct positive effect on students' innovative entrepreneurial intentions but also exerts a stronger impact through the independent and sequential mediation of self‐efficacy and outcome expectations. These results uncover the psychological mechanisms underpinning MOOC learning outcomes and highlight the importance of fostering engagement and motivational beliefs in digital innovation and entrepreneurship education. Based on these insights, the study offers practical recommendations for enhancing the design and instructional strategies of Innovation and Entrepreneurship MOOCs, contributing to the ongoing digital transformation of vocational education.