Validation of the Proposed Entrepreneurship-Oriented Curriculum Model with an Artificial Intelligence Approach in Universities of Mazandaran Province

Abstract

The present study aimed to validate a proposed entrepreneurship-oriented curriculum model incorporating an artificial intelligence approach in universities of Mazandaran Province. In terms of purpose, this study was applied, and in terms of methodology, it employed a descriptive-survey design conducted as the quantitative phase of the sequential exploratory mixed-methods design of the main research project. The statistical population consisted of 2,578 faculty members from universities and higher education institutions in Mazandaran Province. Using Cochran’s formula and proportionate stratified random sampling, 334 participants were selected as the study sample. The research instrument was a researcher-developed 72-item questionnaire derived from the seven-dimensional conceptual model obtained in the qualitative phase of the study. The reliability of the instrument was confirmed at a satisfactory level, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of .949 for the total scale and coefficients ranging from .850 to .961 for the seven dimensions. Data were analyzed using the one-sample t test, Friedman test, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The results of the one-sample t test indicated that the means of all seven model dimensions were significantly higher than the theoretical criterion mean of 3 (p < .001 in all cases), providing empirical support for the content and empirical validity of the proposed model from the perspective of faculty members. The Friedman test further showed that the dimensions of “Infrastructure, Faculty, and Organizational Support Ecosystem” (mean rank = 3.22) and “Smart Curriculum Design and Structure” (mean rank = 3.59) received the highest priorities, whereas “Active and Applied Learning” (mean rank = 4.82) received the lowest relative priority among the seven dimensions, χ² = 114.60, p < .001. The findings of the confirmatory factor analysis also provided relative support for the factor structure of the model. Based on the findings, the seven-dimensional entrepreneurship-oriented curriculum model incorporating an artificial intelligence approach possesses the necessary empirical validity for use in curriculum policymaking and design in universities of Mazandaran Province.