Enhancing Entrepreneurship Education Outcomes through Curriculum Fidelity: Do Regulatory Frameworks Make a Difference?

Aligning with Sustainable Development Goal 8, which emphasises decent work and economic growth, entrepreneurship education (EE) has been recognised as a tactical instrument for fostering innovation and economic resilience. Despite its potential, uneven outcomes in higher education institutions (HEIs) have limited the effectiveness of EE integration into curricula. This study investigates the impact of curriculum fidelity, the extent to which entrepreneurship curricula are delivered as designed, on entrepreneurship education outcomes (EEOs), including entrepreneurial mindset, intention, and action, and examines the moderating role of regulatory frameworks in this relationship. Cross-sectional data were collected from lecturers delivering entrepreneurship courses across universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in South-West Nigeria. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the proposed conceptual model. The results indicate that curriculum fidelity exerts a significant positive effect on EEOs, confirming that consistent and faithful implementation enhances students’ entrepreneurial capabilities. In contrast, the regulatory framework exerts a significant negative moderating effect on the fidelity–EEOs link, suggesting that rigid or overly prescriptive policy may lessen the benefits of high-fidelity curriculum delivery. These findings amplify the EE discourse by highlighting the dual importance of implementation fidelity and the regulatory environment, demonstrating that while fidelity is critical for effective outcomes, policy design can either constrain or facilitate its impact. By integrating curriculum fidelity and regulatory considerations, the study provides practical implications for curriculum designers, policymakers, and higher institutions managers, emphasising the necessity of regulatory flexibility that preserves pedagogical integrity while enabling adaptive curriculum delivery to optimise policy ambition into measurable improvements in entrepreneurial mindset, intention, and action.