Sustainability-focused entrepreneurship teaching and coaching in Omani universities: the mediating role of cognitive skills in shaping women's entrepreneurial traits

Purpose This study investigates how sustainability-embedded entrepreneurship education and coaching support influence key entrepreneurial traits; alertness, creativity and risk willingness through the mediation role of cognitive skills among female university students in Oman. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed, surveying 219 Omani females purposively sampled from entrepreneurship-related programs across several universities. Using validated scales, the study measured teaching practices, coaching support, cognitive skills and entrepreneurial traits. To examine both direct and indirect relationships among the variables, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis was conducted using SmartPLS 4.0. Findings The findings confirmed that Coaching has a positive relationship with alertness. Also the results highlight that cognitive skills fully mediate the relationship between teaching practices, coaching support and entrepreneurial traits. Practical implications Entrepreneurship program design and coaching should focus on enhancing women's entrepreneurial cognitive skills while embedding sustainability. Strengthening these skills can help women overcome cultural barriers and develop key entrepreneurial traits like creativity, alertness and risk-willingness. Social implications Sustainability-oriented education and coaching may foster women students' entrepreneurial cognitive skills, which are associated with entrepreneurial traits. These findings offer useful insights for higher education institutions seeking to strengthen women students' entrepreneurial development in the GCC context, particularly in Oman. Originality/value This study explores how sustainability-focused entrepreneurship education and coaching shape entrepreneurial traits through cognitive skills among women in the Middle East. It addresses a research gap by highlighting the combined impact of teaching and coaching in non-Western contexts. The findings validate cognitive skills as a key mediator and emphasize the unique role of integrating sustainability and coaching to support entrepreneurial growth in underrepresented groups.