Student entrepreneurship behavior and the theory of planned behavior: a decade of science mapping (2015–2025)

Purpose This study evaluates the knowledge structure of student entrepreneurship and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) from 2015 to 2025. Entrepreneurship education is a crucial component in preparing students for the challenging business world, as it prepares them with the necessary skills needed to succeed. Design/methodology/approach Applying science mapping analysis based on a bibliometric approach, 848 documents were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) core collection. Bibliographic coupling and co-word analysis revealed the current and future trends of student entrepreneurship based on TPB. Findings Findings indicate that entrepreneurial behavior is observed primarily among students in higher education. The current and emerging themes highlight thematic clusters, including university support, entrepreneurship education, and social entrepreneurship in higher education. At the same time, future trends depict clusters within university-driven entrepreneurship ecosystems, as well as the role of self-efficacy and students’ personality development and performance. Research limitations/implications These insights provide valuable guidance for educators, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers in shaping students’ behaviors toward entrepreneurship. Originality/value This study fills a significant gap by presenting a comprehensive bibliometric overview of the role of TPB applied to student entrepreneurship in the past decade by identifying key research themes.