<1 Quest

Domain plurality: Pre-post test analysis of learners who did NOT complete a Quest

Table 3 presents the results of a pre–post test analysis conducted among learners who completed fewer than one quest during the WEC. This subgroup (N = 244) represents learners with minimal exposure to the program, typically limited to the Introductory Quest or passive interaction with the platform. The analysis seeks to understand whether limited engagement can still yield measurable shifts in entrepreneurial competencies across 18 validated factors.

Overall, the results reveal limited change across most domains. Entrepreneurial experience showed a modest increase from 50.9 (SD = 15.9) at baseline to 52.6 (SD = 15.8) at endline, though this difference was not statistically significant (p = .20). Similarly, most motivation- and behavior-related competencies exhibited only marginal or statistically insignificant improvements. For example, need for autonomy increased slightly (p = .067), as did taking action and initiative (p = .071), but neither reached conventional levels of statistical significance.

A closer look at entrepreneurial intention (EI) and mindset (EM), two of WEC’s core learning objectives, reveals a more concerning pattern. Both EI and EM factors are reverse-coded, meaning that lower values correspond to stronger entrepreneurial intention or mindset. For learners in this low-engagement group, business preparation (EI 1) increased from 26.3 (SD = 11.2) to 30.3 (SD = 15.1), p < .001, indicating a significant decline in intention. Similarly, there was no change in intention to start a business (EI 2), with pre- and post-test scores both at 36.7, p > .90. Entrepreneurial mindset followed the same trend: positive entrepreneurial mindset (EM 1) increased significantly from 47.2 (SD = 19.1) to 51.5 (SD = 21.8), p = .008, and structured task orientation (EM 2) rose from 31.7 (SD = 16.2) to 38.2 (SD = 23.4), p < .001. Because these factors are reverse-coded, these increases reflect a deterioration in entrepreneurial mindset strength among minimally engaged learners.

Other domains showed similarly weak or negligible changes. Opportunity recognition and opportunity assessment both improved slightly (p = .071 and p = .30, respectively), while competencies related to innovative problem-solving, resourcefulness, and social collaboration (mobilising and working with others) remained statistically insignificant. Notably, the only factor approaching significance outside of mindset and intention was financial literacy, with money sense increasing from 83.0 (SD = 17.6) to 85.3 (SD = 16.2), p = .085.

≥ 1 Quests

Domain plurality: Pre-post test analysis of learners who completed ≥ 1 Quest

Table 4 presents results from the pre–post test analysis of learners who completed at least one quest during the WEC. This group (N = 9,990) engaged meaningfully with the program’s core experiential components. Paired t-tests were used to evaluate changes in entrepreneurial competencies across 18 validated constructs. Overall, the results demonstrate widespread and statistically significant improvements in nearly all domains, reinforcing the importance of deeper engagement with the challenge.

Learners who completed one or more quests exhibited a significant increase in entrepreneurial experience, with mean scores rising from 55.8 (SD = 15.4) at baseline to 58.2 (SD = 15.3) at endline, p < .001. This gain suggests that direct exposure to entrepreneurial scenarios and problem-solving tasks fostered a richer sense of experiential learning among participants.

Similarly, modest but statistically significant improvements were found in entrepreneurial intention. Both factors were reverse-coded (1 = “Definitely true,” 5 = “Definitely false”), so lower scores reflect stronger intentions. Business preparation (EI 1) increased from 31.2 (SD = 17.4) to 34.3 (SD = 19.8), p < .001, and intention to start up (EI 2) rose slightly from 35.6 (SD = 19.1) to 36.1 (SD = 20.1), p = .037. Despite the positive direction of change in raw scores, the reverse-coded nature of these items implies a decline in entrepreneurial intention post-intervention. This counterintuitive pattern, also observed in the full sample and among disengaged learners, suggests that increased exposure to the complexity of entrepreneurship may temper learners’ self-perceptions or intentions, highlighting the need for further qualitative investigation.

The same caution applies to entrepreneurial mindset, which was also measured using reverse-coded factors. Positive entrepreneurial mindset (EM 1) increased from 52.3 (SD = 24.5) to 54.2 (SD = 27.2), p < .001, and structured task orientation (EM 2) rose from 40.0 (SD = 27.5) to 45.0 (SD = 31.0), p < .001. These increases indicate a decline in mindset strength, which may reflect shifts in how learners perceive rules, authority, or risk-taking after completing challenge-based activities. Although statistically significant, these patterns merit deeper exploration to determine whether they represent a developmental plateau, a recalibration of expectations, or a measurement artifact.

Beyond intention and mindset, learners showed consistent, statistically significant gains across most psychological, cognitive, and behavioral competencies. Motivation-related factors such as need for autonomy (85.0 to 86.0, p < .001), resilience (85.8 to 86.9, p < .001), values-driven behavior (77.1 to 78.8, p < .001), and taking action and initiative (78.7 to 82.1, p < .001) all improved. Similarly, self-efficacy, a critical determinant of entrepreneurial success, increased from 87.4 (SD = 14.7) to 88.6 (SD = 14.6), p < .001.

Gains were also notable in opportunity identification and evaluation, with opportunity recognition improving from 84.6 (SD = 15.5) to 86.8 (SD = 15.1), p < .001, and opportunity assessment increasing from 85.5 (SD = 15.5) to 87.3 (SD = 15.1), p < .001. These findings suggest that learners became more adept at identifying and evaluating entrepreneurial opportunities through the quest-based learning framework.

In the domain of problem-solving and resource utilization, learners who engaged with at least one quest also improved significantly. Innovative problem-solving rose from 87.5 to 89.1 (p < .001), resourcefulness increased from 88.0 to 89.5 (p < .001), and financial literacy (money sense) improved from 87.4 to 88.9 (p < .001). These results point to increased functional competence, an outcome aligned with WEC’s intended emphasis on real-world entrepreneurial decision-making.

Lastly, improvements in collaborative and social competencies were observed. Mobilising others improved from 88.8 to 90.0 (p < .001), and working with others increased from 89.1 to 90.2 (p < .001). These changes reflect stronger perceptions of teamwork, persuasion, and social engagement, key soft skills in entrepreneurial practice.

≥ 4 Quests

Domain plurality: Pre-post test analysis of learners who only completed ≥ 4 Quests

Table 5 summarizes the results of a pre–post test analysis for learners who completed four or more quests in the WEC. This subgroup represents the most substantively engaged participants, having interacted with the program’s deeper and more diverse experiential components. Using paired t-tests, changes were assessed across 18 validated entrepreneurial factors. The results reflect broad-based, statistically significant improvements in nearly every domain of entrepreneurial development.

Learners in this high-engagement group experienced a significant increase in entrepreneurial experience, rising from 56.0 (SD = 15.4) at baseline to 58.4 (SD = 15.2) at endline, p < .001. This suggests that intensive exposure to multiple challenge domains enriched learners’ applied understanding of entrepreneurial processes.

Similarly, entrepreneurial intention showed moderate but significant shifts. Business preparation (EI 1), a reverse-coded variable in which lower scores reflect stronger intent, increased from 31.5 (SD = 17.6) to 34.6 (SD = 19.9), p < .001, indicating a decline in intention post-intervention. Intention to start-up (EI 2), also reverse-coded, increased slightly from 35.6 (SD = 19.1) to 36.0 (SD = 20.1), though the change was not statistically significant (p = .11). As observed in other engagement levels, this pattern suggests a nuanced and potentially counterintuitive relationship between increased program exposure and entrepreneurial intention. It is possible that greater awareness of entrepreneurial challenges may have moderated overly optimistic intentions, an area that warrants further qualitative exploration.

The same caution applies to entrepreneurial mindset, which was also assessed using reverse-coded factors. Positive entrepreneurial mindset (EM 1) increased from 52.6 (SD = 24.7) to 54.4 (SD = 27.4), p < .001, and structured task orientation (EM 2) increased from 40.4 (SD = 27.9) to 45.3 (SD = 31.2), p < .001. These increases indicate a statistically significant decline in entrepreneurial mindset among even the most engaged learners. Though counterintuitive, this may reflect a recalibration of self-perceptions, shifting from initial enthusiasm toward a more realistic assessment of entrepreneurial traits.

In contrast, other core competencies related to motivation, resilience, values, and initiative improved consistently. Need for autonomy increased significantly from 85.3 to 86.1 (p < .001), while resilience rose from 86.1 to 87.0 (p < .001). Values-driven behavior showed meaningful gains, moving from 77.3 (SD = 22.1) to 78.9 (SD = 21.3), p < .001. Likewise, taking action and initiative improved significantly from 78.9 to 82.2 (p < .001), aligning with the challenge’s goal of fostering proactive, self-starting behavior among learners.

Cognitive and problem-solving competencies also demonstrated notable growth. Self-efficacy increased from 87.5 to 88.7 (p < .001), while opportunity recognition and assessment improved from 84.8 to 86.9 and 85.7 to 87.4, respectively (both p < .001). Learners also strengthened their abilities in innovative problem-solving (from 87.6 to 89.1, p < .001) and resourcefulness (from 88.2 to 89.5, p < .001), suggesting that repeated exposure to quests encouraged learners to approach problems with greater creativity and strategic thinking.

Social and collaborative skills followed a similar trend. Mobilising others improved from 89.0 to 90.0 (p < .001), and working with others increased from 89.2 to 90.2 (p < .001), reflecting enhanced capacity for teamwork, leadership, and influence. These gains may be attributed to the inherently collaborative structure of the quests, many of which require learners to engage peers or communities in ideation and solution-building.

Finally, financial literacy, as measured by the money sense factor, improved significantly from 87.5 (SD = 15.2) to 89.0 (SD = 14.9), p < .001. This result underscores the value of the finance-related quests in developing functional skills for resource management and economic decision-making.

Climate Quest

Table 6 presents the results of a pre–post test analysis for learners who exclusively completed the Climate Quest in the WEC. This subgroup (N = 173) offers insight into the domain-specific effects of climate-focused entrepreneurial content on learners’ entrepreneurial competencies. The paired t-test analysis compares baseline and endline scores across 18 validated entrepreneurial factors to assess whether engagement with this single thematic quest produced statistically significant changes.

Learners who completed the Climate Quest showed a near-significant improvement in entrepreneurial experience, with scores increasing from 51.9 (SD = 15.9) to 54.4 (SD = 16.3), p = .056. While not statistically significant at the .05 threshold, this upward trend suggests that learners may have developed a better sense of practical entrepreneurship through climate-themed tasks.

In the domain of entrepreneurial intention, only business preparation (EI 1) showed a statistically significant improvement, increasing from 27.7 (SD = 12.7) to 32.3 (SD = 16.2), p < .001. Since EI 1 is reverse-coded (1 = “Definitely true,” 5 = “Definitely false”), this increase actually reflects a decline in entrepreneurial intention, a finding consistent with patterns observed in broader WEC analyses. Intention to start-up (EI 2) did not change significantly, remaining statistically flat (p = .50).

Similarly, changes in entrepreneurial mindset were mixed. While both mindset factors are reverse-coded (1 = “Strongly agree,” 5 = “Strongly disagree”), only structured tasks and following others’ rules (EM 2) showed a statistically significant increase, from 34.1 (SD = 20.3) to 42.4 (SD = 27.1), p < .001, which again reflects a decline in entrepreneurial mindset strength. Positive entrepreneurial mindset (EM 1) showed a marginal increase from 47.9 to 52.2 (p = .060), also suggesting a directional decline, though not statistically significant.

Despite mixed results on intention and mindset, several other competencies improved significantly following participation in the Climate Quest. Learners reported statistically significant gains in taking action and initiative (from 74.8 to 79.7, p = .007), self-efficacy (from 84.8 to 87.6, p = .029), and opportunity recognition (from 81.2 to 84.4, p = .020). These improvements suggest that domain-specific content focused on climate challenges may encourage learners to take initiative, believe in their entrepreneurial capacity, and better identify opportunities for impact.

Further gains were observed in opportunity assessment (from 81.6 to 85.8, p = .003), innovative problem-solving (from 84.7 to 87.7, p = .013), and resourcefulness (from 84.9 to 87.8, p = .012), indicating that climate-themed tasks stimulated learners’ ability to critically assess ideas, generate novel solutions, and use resources effectively.

In terms of collaborative and influence-based skills, mobilising others improved from 86.2 (SD = 13.0) to 88.5 (SD = 13.8), p = .046, while working with others increased from 87.5 to 89.3, though the change was not statistically significant (p = .10). This trend suggests that the Climate Quest may have prompted learners to think more socially and work in more collaborative ways, even if not at statistically conclusive levels.

Lastly, money sense improved modestly from 83.9 to 86.5 (p = .067), approaching statistical significance and suggesting that climate-related entrepreneurial scenarios may still touch on basic financial decision-making.

Future Industry Quest

Table 7 presents the results of a pre–post test analysis for learners who exclusively completed the Future Industry Quest in the WEC. This analysis explores whether engagement with the quest, focused on future-oriented industries and innovation, resulted in measurable changes in learners’ entrepreneurial competencies. Using paired t-tests, comparisons were made across 18 validated factors.

Learners who participated in the Future Industry Quest demonstrated a statistically significant increase in entrepreneurial experience, rising from 51.2 (SD = 16.0) at baseline to 58.4 (SD = 15.0) at endline, p < .001. This is one of the most substantial gains observed among domain-specific quest groups and suggests that learners gained relevant exposure to entrepreneurial thinking through engaging with themes of technological innovation and future industry trends.

In contrast, entrepreneurial intention did not improve. Business preparation (EI 1) showed a minor, non-significant increase from 29.2 to 30.6 (p = .50), while intention to start-up (EI 2) slightly declined from 39.1 to 38.4 (p = .80). As with other groups, these EI factors are reverse-coded, meaning lower values reflect stronger intention. Thus, although statistically non-significant, the direction of change in both variables indicates either stagnation or decline in entrepreneurial intention post-intervention, raising questions about how learners perceive the feasibility or desirability of entrepreneurial action after engaging with future industry content.

Entrepreneurial mindset factors followed a similar pattern. Positive entrepreneurial mindset (EM 1) increased from 47.9 (SD = 21.1) to 53.9 (SD = 25.8), p = .10, and structured task orientation (EM 2) rose from 37.8 (SD = 22.3) to 44.0 (SD = 30.2), p = .12. Since both factors are reverse-coded, these increases reflect a decline in entrepreneurial mindset strength, though the results were not statistically significant. The decline may suggest that the complexity or technical framing of future industries dampened learners’ confidence in their alignment with entrepreneurial traits.

Despite these patterns in intention and mindset, learners demonstrated significant improvements in several psychological and performance-based competencies. Notably, need to achieve increased from 74.0 to 81.4 (p = .039), need for autonomy rose from 77.8 to 86.7 (p = .004), and resilience improved from 76.0 to 85.0 (p = .008). These gains point to increased internal motivation, independence, and perseverance, qualities often associated with navigating uncertainty and disruption in fast-evolving industries.

Similarly, learners reported growth in values-driven behavior (from 70.7 to 78.6, p = .008), self-efficacy (from 83.4 to 87.8, p = .046), and innovative problem-solving (from 83.2 to 88.4, p = .024). These results suggest that the Future Industry Quest fostered greater self-belief, personal values alignment, and creativity in problem-solving, all relevant to forward-looking entrepreneurial ecosystems.

While changes in opportunity recognition (from 79.0 to 83.3, p = .090) and opportunity assessment (from 80.8 to 84.0, p = .20) did not reach statistical significance, they moved in a positive direction. More notably, learners exhibited strong and statistically significant gains in collaboration and influence-based competencies. Mobilising others improved from 84.2 (SD = 17.1) to 91.6 (SD = 10.8), p < .001, and working with others increased from 85.5 (SD = 15.2) to 92.0 (SD = 10.5), p < .001, among the largest shifts in any domain. These results reflect an enhanced ability to lead, persuade, and collaborate in high-stakes, innovation-oriented environments.

Finally, while the money sense variable was reported in frequency format and not as continuous data, descriptive distributions indicate greater post-test concentration in the upper performance bands (85.7% and above). For example, 44.7% of learners scored at the highest band (100%) post-test compared to only 27.7% at baseline. This suggests improvement in financial literacy, although the statistical strength is less precise due to the categorical reporting format.

Creative Industry Quest

Table 8 presents the results of a pre–post test analysis for learners who exclusively completed the Creative Industry Quest within the WEC. This analysis explores how engagement with content related to arts, culture, and creative sectors influenced changes in entrepreneurial competencies. The sample comprises 47 learners, and paired t-tests were used to assess mean differences across 18 validated entrepreneurial factors.

Learners who participated in the Creative Industry Quest experienced a statistically significant increase in entrepreneurial experience, with scores rising from 51.2 (SD = 17.2) at baseline to 56.4 (SD = 15.6) at endline, p = .018. This finding suggests that the quest may have provided learners with meaningful exposure to entrepreneurial thinking within the creative economy, where experiential learning opportunities are often tied to artistic production, media innovation, and storytelling.

In contrast, changes in entrepreneurial intention were less conclusive. Business preparation (EI 1) increased slightly from 31.4 (SD = 16.2) to 32.6 (SD = 18.4), but this difference was not statistically significant (p = .70). Likewise, intention to start-up (EI 2) rose from 35.1 (SD = 17.1) to 40.9 (SD = 22.3), p = .11. Both EI factors are reverse-coded (1 = “Definitely true,” 5 = “Definitely false”), meaning that these score increases reflect a decline in entrepreneurial intention, although not at statistically significant levels. This pattern may indicate that learners, after engaging with the creative industries content, became more aware of the complexities and challenges involved in creative entrepreneurship, potentially moderating their intentions.

Entrepreneurial mindset, also measured using reverse-coded factors, followed a similar trajectory. Positive entrepreneurial mindset (EM 1) decreased slightly from 53.2 (SD = 20.7) to 49.1 (SD = 26.7), while structured task orientation (EM 2) rose from 40.9 (SD = 22.1) to 43.5 (SD = 29.0). Neither change was statistically significant (p = .40 and p = .60, respectively), though the increase in EM 2 reflects a slight decline in mindset strength. These results suggest that the Creative Industry Quest did not meaningfully shift learners’ self-perceived entrepreneurial identity or outlook.

More encouragingly, learners exhibited statistically significant gains in a range of cognitive, resilience-related, and collaboration-oriented competencies. Resilience improved from 76.6 (SD = 18.0) to 84.8 (SD = 18.2), p = .032, indicating a strengthened ability to persevere through challenges, an especially relevant trait in creative industries where feedback cycles and rejection are common. Opportunity recognition also improved significantly from 80.3 to 86.8, p = .030, and innovative problem-solving rose from 82.7 to 89.2, p = .022, reflecting improved capacity to identify and address novel challenges through creative thinking.

While opportunity assessment (from 81.8 to 87.3, p = .071), resourcefulness (from 81.9 to 87.5, p = .076), and money sense (from 83.3 to 88.9, p = .061) did not meet the threshold for statistical significance, they all moved in a positive direction and approached significance, suggesting promising trends that may be more visible in larger samples or with repeated exposure.

Perhaps the most notable and consistent gains were found in social and collaborative competencies. Mobilising others improved significantly from 82.5 (SD = 18.1) to 89.7 (SD = 11.8), p = .024, while working with others rose from 83.1 (SD = 17.1) to 89.5 (SD = 10.3), p = .017. These results reflect learners’ improved ability to collaborate, persuade, and lead, skills that are particularly crucial in creative ventures, where co-creation and community engagement are central to project success.

Aquapreneurship Quest

Table 9 presents results from the pre–post test analysis of learners who exclusively completed the Aquapreneurship Quest within the WEC. This thematic quest centers on water-based innovation and entrepreneurship, offering learners an opportunity to explore real-world problems related to sustainability, clean water access, and aquatic ecosystems. Paired t-tests were used to assess statistically significant changes in entrepreneurial competencies across 18 validated domains.

Learners who participated in the Aquapreneurship Quest exhibited a statistically significant increase in entrepreneurial experience, with mean scores rising from 50.2 (SD = 15.0) to 53.8 (SD = 16.0), p = .011. This improvement suggests that the quest successfully introduced learners to applied entrepreneurial thinking in the context of water systems and environmental problem-solving.

In contrast, changes in entrepreneurial intention were not statistically significant. Business preparation (EI 1) rose slightly from 29.0 (SD = 12.9) to 29.8 (SD = 14.0), p = .50, while intention to start-up (EI 2) increased from 34.5 (SD = 16.8) to 37.3 (SD = 16.8), p = .12. As with other domains, these factors are reverse-coded, meaning that increases reflect a decline in intention, albeit statistically nonsignificant. These results suggest that while the quest may have developed awareness and skills, it did not translate into stronger entrepreneurial intention among participants.

Similarly, entrepreneurial mindset factors did not show meaningful shifts. Positive entrepreneurial mindset (EM 1) changed marginally from 48.9 to 47.8, p = .60, and structured task orientation (EM 2) from 34.5 to 35.6, p = .70. Both are reverse-coded, and thus, these results indicate no improvement in entrepreneurial mindset, reinforcing a pattern seen in several other domain-specific quests.

However, learners demonstrated statistically significant gains in a range of personal, cognitive, and motivational competencies. Notably, resilience improved from 79.7 (SD = 21.7) to 85.4 (SD = 16.1), p = .028, indicating enhanced capacity to cope with setbacks, critical for innovation in resource-scarce or high-risk sectors like aquaculture and water systems. Values-driven behavior increased from 71.4 to 77.7, p = .017, and taking action and initiative rose from 72.9 to 78.6, p = .007, suggesting that learners became more purposeful and proactive after completing the quest.

Learners also reported meaningful improvements in self-efficacy, with scores rising from 84.1 to 87.9, p = .012, pointing to greater confidence in their entrepreneurial capabilities. Gains in opportunity recognition (81.6 to 85.8, p = .005) and opportunity assessment (80.9 to 86.7, p < .001) further reflect improved cognitive skill in evaluating viable ideas, a key marker of entrepreneurial maturity. Although innovative problem-solving showed a positive trend (85.2 to 87.5), this change was not statistically significant (p = .10).

Additional improvements were observed in resourcefulness, which increased from 85.5 to 88.5 (p = .016), highlighting stronger adaptability and strategic use of limited inputs. While mobilising others improved from 86.6 to 89.1, the change approached but did not reach statistical significance (p = .057). Working with others (88.5 to 90.0, p = .30) and money sense (86.2 to 87.2, p = .60) remained stable, suggesting that collaborative and financial competencies were not significantly impacted by this specific quest.

Learning from Failure Quest

Table 10 presents findings from a pre–post test analysis of learners who exclusively completed the Learning from Failure Quest in the WEC. This quest is designed to help learners understand the value of failure in the entrepreneurial process and to cultivate resilience, growth mindset, and adaptive learning. Paired t-tests were used to assess statistically significant changes in 18 entrepreneurial domains for 147 learners.

Unlike some of the other domain-specific quests, entrepreneurial experience did not significantly improve, with mean scores increasing slightly from 53.9 (SD = 16.2) to 55.3 (SD = 16.7), p = .40. This suggests that exposure to the failure narrative, while conceptually rich, may not have directly enhanced learners’ experiential understanding of entrepreneurship.

A different pattern emerged with entrepreneurial intention. Business preparation (EI 1), a reverse-coded measure where lower scores indicate stronger intention, increased significantly from 25.4 (SD = 11.1) to 30.7 (SD = 17.8), p < .001, indicating a decline in entrepreneurial intention post-intervention. Intend to start-up (EI 2) remained unchanged (p = .90). As seen in other quests, this drop in intention might reflect increased realism or lowered confidence following exposure to failure-based narratives, and it warrants further qualitative exploration.

In the entrepreneurial mindset domain, both factors showed significant change. Positive entrepreneurial mindset (EM 1) increased from 46.9 (SD = 18.5) to 52.6 (SD = 23.7), p = .016, and structured task orientation (EM 2) increased from 32.4 (SD = 16.4) to 41.2 (SD = 27.6), p < .001. Both factors are reverse-coded, meaning these increases reflect declines in entrepreneurial mindset strength. The findings suggest that although learners engaged with meaningful narratives around failure, these did not translate into stronger entrepreneurial confidence or adaptability at the mindset level, possibly due to emotional reactions or cognitive overload when reflecting on failure.

Nevertheless, several other cognitive and behavioral competencies improved significantly, reinforcing the value of the quest in other developmental areas. Learners demonstrated statistically significant gains in taking action and initiative (from 76.6 to 81.6, p = .008), self-efficacy (from 86.1 to 89.4, p = .036), and opportunity recognition (from 81.5 to 86.0, p = .006). These competencies are central to translating entrepreneurial potential into action, and their improvement reflects the quest’s likely impact in prompting learners to reframe setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth.

Learners also improved in innovative problem-solving (from 86.0 to 89.6, p = .010) and resourcefulness (from 86.1 to 89.9, p = .010), showing stronger abilities to generate creative solutions and adapt under pressure - critical traits in entrepreneurial ecosystems that reward persistence and iterative thinking. Although opportunity assessment increased from 83.3 to 86.2, this change was not statistically significant (p = .072).

Social and collaborative competencies showed some of the strongest gains. Mobilising others improved from 86.8 to 90.7 (p = .004), and working with others increased from 86.5 to 90.8 (p = .001), suggesting that learners may have deepened their appreciation for teamwork, communication, and support networks in the face of failure. Finally, money sense rose significantly from 83.8 (SD = 18.9) to 89.2 (SD = 13.5), p = .002, indicating enhanced awareness of financial literacy, possibly a response to learning about the financial risks and missteps that often accompany entrepreneurial setbacks.

Public Health Quest

Table 11 presents the results of a pre–post analysis for learners who exclusively participated in the Future Industry Quest, a learning module aimed at exploring evolving global industries and fostering future-oriented entrepreneurial thinking. Among the 57 learners analyzed, multiple statistically significant changes were observed, particularly in cognitive, emotional, and collaborative dimensions of entrepreneurial competency.

Participants showed a statistically significant improvement in entrepreneurial experience, with scores rising from a baseline mean of 51.2 (SD = 16.0) to 58.4 (SD = 15.0) at endline (p < .001). This suggests that the Future Industry Quest effectively exposed learners to practical and imaginative scenarios simulating entrepreneurial engagement in emerging sectors.

However, entrepreneurial intention, measured through two reverse-coded factors, did not show meaningful change. Business preparation (EI 1) increased marginally from 29.2 (SD = 14.4) to 30.6 (SD = 17.8), and intention to start-up (EI 2) slightly decreased from 39.1 (SD = 18.5) to 38.4 (SD = 21.0), but neither change was statistically significant (p = .50 and p = .80, respectively). As these factors are reverse-coded, where lower values imply stronger intention, these results suggest a neutral or potentially diminished intent to pursue entrepreneurship after the quest, which may warrant qualitative follow-up.

Similarly, although both entrepreneurial mindset factors (EM 1 and EM 2) showed an upward trend, neither reached statistical significance. Positive entrepreneurial mindset (EM 1) increased from 47.9 to 53.9, and structured task orientation (EM 2) rose from 37.8 to 44.0; yet both results had p-values above .10. Notably, these factors are also reverse-coded, meaning that these increases reflect no improvement, or even slight deterioration, in entrepreneurial mindset.

In contrast, the Future Industry Quest appears to have had a substantial effect on motivational and innate capacities. Learners exhibited significant improvements in need to achieve (from 74.0 to 81.4, p = .039), need for autonomy (from 77.8 to 86.7, p = .004), and resilience (from 76.0 to 85.0, p = .008), underscoring the quest’s potential to inspire future-focused self-leadership and perseverance. Similarly, values-driven behavior increased meaningfully from 70.7 to 78.6 (p = .008), indicating a heightened alignment between personal beliefs and entrepreneurial action.

Although taking action and initiative did not change significantly (p = .50), self-efficacy rose from 83.4 to 87.8 (p = .046), suggesting that the quest built participants’ belief in their ability to execute entrepreneurial tasks. Gains in opportunity recognition and assessment were observed (with means rising to 83.3 and 84.0, respectively), but these did not meet statistical thresholds (p = .090 and p = .20).

Cognitive competencies linked to problem-solving and resource management demonstrated notable growth. Innovative problem-solving improved significantly from 83.2 to 88.4 (p = .024), while resourcefulness rose from 83.7 to 90.0 (p = .002), reflecting an increased capacity for creativity and practical adaptability in navigating complex challenges.

Some of the strongest effects were observed in interpersonal domains. Learners demonstrated sharp gains in mobilising others (from 84.2 to 91.6, p < .001) and working with others (from 85.5 to 92.0, p < .001), signaling the Future Industry Quest’s success in promoting collaboration, leadership, and influence, critical for navigating dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems.

While the final Money Sense factor had formatting issues, qualitative inspection of the score distribution suggests an upward shift in financial literacy, particularly at the highest performance tier (44.7% of learners scored 100 at endline vs. 27.7% at baseline), p = .014. This indicates meaningful growth in financial understanding among Future Industry Quest participants.