Purpose: The present study aimed to model the mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and start-up readiness among sport sciences students.
Methods: The research method was descriptive-correlational, and the statistical population consisted of all sport sciences students in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, from whom 300 participants were selected through cluster sampling. Data were collected using the Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Questionnaire developed by Ghi and Van (2025), the Entrepreneurship Education Questionnaire by Puni et al. (2018), and the Start-up Readiness Questionnaire by Adeniyi (2023). Data were analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS software.
Results: The results indicated a direct and significant effect of entrepreneurship education on entrepreneurial self-efficacy (β = 0.78, t = 10.771), a direct and significant effect of entrepreneurship education on start-up readiness (β = 0.50, t = 4.736), and a direct and significant effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on start-up readiness (β = 0.42, t = 4.008). Furthermore, the indirect effect of entrepreneurship education on start-up readiness through the mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy was confirmed (β = 0.349, p = 0.003) among sport sciences students.
Conclusion: Therefore, entrepreneurship education can enhance sport sciences students' start-up readiness when it strengthens their entrepreneurial self-efficacy and increases their belief in their own abilities. Accordingly, the effectiveness of entrepreneurship education depends not only on the transfer of knowledge and skills but also on fostering the sense of competence and self-confidence required for entering the entrepreneurial field.