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Abstract

The aim of college education is not only to teach students professional knowledge and skills but also to develop their self-regulated learning (SRL) ability, which has great significance for their lifelong development. This study aims to investigate the roles played by professional identity, intrinsic motivation, and sense of school belonging in improving SRL ability among college students. Mediation and moderated mediation analyses were employed to analyze a sample of 619 college students. The findings suggest that intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between professional identity and SRL ability, and that sense of school belonging moderates not only a direct link between professional identity and SRL ability but also an indirect association between intrinsic motivation and SRL ability. Students with a high sense of school belonging show a stronger influence of professional identity and intrinsic motivation on improving SRL ability than those with a low sense of school belonging. Therefore, promoting professional identity and intrinsic motivation can be particularly beneficial for students with a strong sense of school belonging in improving SRL ability.

Keywords

self-regulated learning ability professional identity intrinsic motivation sense of school belonging college students

Introduction

Currently, with the rapid development of science and technology, the frequency of knowledge updates continues to accelerate. Improving student’s ability in SRL has become a fundamental requirement for self-development, as it enables individuals to adapt to changes in professional roles. The key characteristics of university education include the ability to independently manage personal time and a high level of self-awareness. Given the crucial role that SRL plays in personal development, college education becomes a vital stage for fostering SRL ability. It is essential to provide a comprehensive SRL-oriented education in college, considering its significance in lifelong learning. While professional studies remain the primary focus for college students, university education also has a clear career orientation. The cultivation of SRL ability is closely linked to positive professional cognition and a strong sense of career identity. Professional identity is a complex psychological process that encompasses the development of positive cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes (Lee & Jang, 2023). This process involves the emotional acceptance and identification of positive external behavior and an internal sense of appropriateness based on professional cognition and understanding (Cruess et al., 2014).

Researchers have proposed numerous models to illustrate the working mechanism of SRL, with Zimmerman’s social cognitive model being the most comprehensive and widely recognized. According to Zimmerman, SRL involves metacognitive, motivational, and behavioral processes that enhance learning outcomes by incorporating SRL processes such as goal setting, planning, applying learning strategies, and self-reinforcement (Cleary & Zimmerman, 2012). Prior research on the antecedents of SRL ability has primarily focused on individual attributes such as goal setting, metacognition, learning strategies, time management, environment structuring, self-control, self-reflection, etc. (Sitzmann & Ely, 2011), while neglecting the importance of learners’ professional identity and their identification of learning content. Professional identity has been shown to have positive effects on learning motivation, interest, attitude, and engagement, as well as a negative impact on learning procrastination (Jackson, 2017), which are all related to the definition of SRL. Professional identity promotes learning motivation and reinforces learning behavior, which are essential driving forces for SRL. Intrinsic motivation is crucial for autonomous learning (Malone & Lepper, 2021), and studies have found that the formation of professional identity is closely related to learning investment and may be a key factor in cultivating students’ SRL ability (Matsuyama et al., 2018, 2019).

Although empirical studies have shown that having a professional identity can effectively improve students learning enthusiasm and has a significant predictive effect on learning investment, whether professional identity influences the cultivation of SRL ability has not been explored in depth (Vähäsantanen, 2015). Researchers have suggested that professional identity may influence SRL ability, little empirical testing has been done on this topic in the context of China. Given that the school culture and environment faced by Chinese college students are different from those in other countries, research is needed to identify the factors that can enhance SRL ability in the specific learning environment.

In fact, the main aim of this study is to investigate the underlying factors that influence students SRL ability and shed light on the complex pathway from professional identity to SRL ability by exploring the mediating role of intrinsic motivation. This study will contribute to the existing literature on social environmental factors in the theoretical model of SRL and provide practical guidance to teachers and students on how to enhance professional identity to improve SRL ability. It is important to note that students who lack SRL ability may face significant challenges in both their academic and professional pursuits, underscoring the importance of this study.

Students Professional Identity and SRL Ability

According to Zimmermans SRL theory, self-regulated learners are actively engaged in metacognitive, motivational, and behavioral processes throughout the learning process. SRL requires learners to engage in self-monitoring throughout the learning process, which inherently motivates them to achieve the goals they have set for themselves. This requires students to independently plan, monitor, and learn (Segaran & Hasim, 2021). Professional identity has an impact on students SRL ability for the following reasons. Studies have shown that identity formation could promote students self-oriented reaction and acceptance of various learning strategies in a self-regulated manner (Matsuyama et al., 2018). Recent research by Matsuyama suggests that professional identity contributes to the development of students SRL in a preclinical setting, possibly due to its association with self-reflection, diversified learning strategies, and motivational states (Matsuyama et al., 2021a). Prior studies have also confirmed that students with high professional identity tend to exhibit high learning motivation, interest, attitude, and engagement. In summary, these findings suggested that professional identity formation (PIF) could contribute to the development of SRL. Therefore, based on the above arguments, this study offered the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 1: Professional identity relates positively to SRL ability.

The Mediating Effect of Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation is a critical component of SRL and students intrinsic motivation has been recognized as an significant predictor of academic success, persistence, and determination (Kaplan & Flum, 2009). Intrinsic motivation is malleable and can be influenced by various factors (Brissette & Howes, 2010), including the process of identity formation. Research has found a positive correlation between intrinsic motivation and professional identity, indicating that students with intrinsic motivation are more likely to engage in deep learning and form their professional identity (Wasityastuti et al., 2018). Additionally, motivation is believed to plays a significant role in the development of professional identity, and the level of motivation is seen as an indicator of professional identity (Canrinus et al., 2011). Furthermore, professional identity can also reciprocally influence motivation, as students who understand and accept their majors cognitively are more likely to learn with a positive attitude and active behavior.

According to Zimmermans SRL theory, motivation is an essential component of SRL. Motivation is necessary for students to establish learning goals and initiate the learning process consciously, without which SRL cannot be accomplished (Järvenoja et al., 2020). Intrinsic motivation is particularly important in assessing the autonomy of learning. Previous studies have suggested that without intrinsic motivation or a sense of future professional responsibility, students would not be able to promote their SRL. (Goldie, 2012; Stockley & Forbes, 2014). In view of the above research, this study proposed the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 2: Intrinsic motivation mediates the relationship between professional identity and SRL ability.

The Moderating Role of Students Sense of School Belonging

Professional identity refers to beliefs, values, skills, and behaviors that define an individuals role and purpose within a profession. A strong professional identity helps individuals to develop a sense of belonging, direction, and purpose in their chosen career (Fitzgerald, 2020). Therefore, exploring potential moderators of professional identity is necessary to understand its influence on students’ SRL. Sense of school belonging refers to the extent to which students feel connected to and accepted by their school community (K. Allen et al., 2018). It encompasses feelings of social connectedness, acceptance, and support from peers, teachers, and other school staff. Students with a strong sense of school belonging feel like they are part of a community that values and supports them, which can positively impact their behaviors and academic achievement. Maslows hierarchy of needs suggests that belonging and love are important psychological needs and a basis for self-realization (Gholami, 2022). For college students, the school is an important environment for their study and life. If students sense of belonging to the school is satisfied, it can strengthen their motivation and have a positive impact on their learning behavior. Existing research has demonstrated that increased sense of belonging is associated positively with students metacognition, time management, peer learning strategies, effort, engagement, persistence, and academic performance (Won et al., 2018) and negatively with students procrastination and poor self-regulation (Kennedy & Tuckman, 2013). Anderman and Freeman also indicate that sense of school belonging can influence students academic motivation, academic achievement, and well-being (Anderman & &Freeman, 2004). Although studies suggest that sense of belonging is key, additional research is needed to determine whether sense of belonging is a direct mediator or moderator of SRL, or whether other constructs are involved. Based on the literature reviewed above, this study proposed the following hypothesis:

Hypothesis 3: The indirect association between students professional identity and their SRL through intrinsic motivation is moderated by sense of school belonging.

Moderated mediation hypotheses were developed, and Figure 1 illustrates the proposed moderated mediation model of this study.

Figure 1.

Proposed moderated mediation model.

Methods

Study Design

This study utilized cross-sectional data collected from 619 college students in China, who were come from different cities in Shandong Province.

Participants and Data Collection

We distributed 650 questionnaires to students and received 619 valid responses, resulting in an efficient response rate of 95.23%. Among the students, 54.12% ( $n$ = 335) were female, and 45.88% ( $n$ = 284) were male. All students ( $n$ = 619) were between the ages of 17 and 24, with an average age of 19.82 years old ( $SD$ = 0.513). During the survey, the students completed questionnaires to assess their professional identity level, SRL ability, sense of school belonging level, and intrinsic motivation. We provided a clear explanation of its purpose to all students before they completed the questionnaire.

Instruments

The questionnaire items were originally written in English, and later translated into Chinese. To ensure cross-linguistic equivalence, the results were independently translated back to English by two English professors.

Students Professional Identity

To measure the students professional identity, we used the Professional Identity Questionnaire developed by Brown et al (Brown et al., 1986), which contains of 10 items scored on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (completely true) to 5 (completely not true). The scale assesses the degree to which students identify with their majors, with higher scores indicating a stronger sense of professional identity. An example item from this scale is “I am often ashamed to admit that I am studying for my future career.” The Cronbachs $α$ coefficient for the measure of professional identity was 0.94, indicating high internal consistency. To test the construct validity of all variables, we employed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and assessed the goodness of fit using the standards proposed by Hu and Bentler (Hu & Bentler, 1998): $X^{2} / df$ < 5, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) < 0.1, and comparative fit index (CFI) > 0.90. The CFA results for professional identity yielded $X^{2} / df$ = 5.82, RMSEA = 0.08, and CFI = 0.94, indicating good structural validity.

Students Intrinsic Motivation

To measure students intrinsic motivation, we used the Working Motivation Inventory scale (Amabile et al., 1994). This 30-item instrument includes two subscales: intrinsic motivation and external motivation. We were more concerned with intrinsic motivation variables, therefore, 14 items from this scale were employed. An example item from this scale is “I do a lot of things because of curiosity.” The responses are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (completely true) to 5 (completely not true), and the scores are averaged to create a composite score for each student. The Cronbachs $α$ coefficient for students intrinsic motivation was 0.81. The CFA was also conducted to test the construct validity of the intrinsic motivation variable. The fit indices for the CFA model were $X^{2} / df$ = 4.39, RMSEA = 0.07, and CFI = 0.99, suggesting good structural validity.

Students Sense of School Belonging

To measure students sense of school belonging, we used a subscale from the scale developed by Hurtado and Carter (Hurtado & Carter, 1997). This subscale includes items such as “I feel that I am a member of the campus community.” Items are rated on a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (completely true) to 5 (completely not true). The Cronbachs $α$ coefficient for the sense of school belonging subscale was 0.79, indicating good internal consistency. To assess the construct validity of the sense of school belonging variable, we conducted CFA and obtained good fit indices: $X^{2} / df$ =2.86, RMSEA = 0.05, and CFI = 0.99, indicating good structural validity.

Self-Regulated Learning

We used the SRL Ability Scale developed by Zhang and Li (2007) to assess students SRL ability. The scale consists of 30 items that measure four dimensions of SRL: learning motivation (eight items), self-management ability (11 items), cooperative learning ability (five items), and information quality (six items). An example of an item from this scale is “I pay more attention to mastering professional knowledge and skills than to passing examinations.” The responses are rated on a five-point Likert scale. The Cronbachs $α$ for the SRL scale was 0.87, and that for the four dimensions of SRL ranged from 0.76 to 0.92. The SRL variables exhibited good convergent validity, as indicated by the fit indices: $X^{2} / df$ =4.4, RMSEA = 0.07, and CFI = 0.94. Therefore, this scale was an appropriate measure for assessing students SRL ability.

Controls

We measured and controlled for age and gender in the mediation and moderated mediation analyses in this study.

Data Analysis and Availability

We used SPSS 22.0 for conducting partial correlation analysis (controlling for age) to investigate the relationships among professional identity, intrinsic motivation, sense of school belonging, and SRL ability. To test whether intrinsic motivation mediated the relationship between professional identity and SRL ability, we used hierarchical regression and mediation modeling analysis (model 4, SPSS 22.0 PROCESS macro), along with estimating its specific effect proportion. Furthermore, we used moderated mediation modeling analysis (model 59) to test whether students sense of school belonging moderated the proposed mediation model. To reduce collinearity in the moderation analysis, we centered all variables. We drew the interaction patterns of professional identity and intrinsic motivation with students SRL ability at different levels of sense of school belonging using Excel. To estimate the bootstrap confidence interval (CI) for the indirect effect, we used 5,000 bootstrap samples and bias-correction. We considered $p$ < .05 as significant in all statistical analyses.

Ethics Statement

We obtained approval from the ethics committee of Liaocheng University. The participants completed the surveys anonymously and voluntarily with no negative consequences for not completing them.

Results

Descriptive and Correlation Statistics

Table 1 presents the means, standard deviations, and correlations among the variables. The mean scores of all variables range between 3 and 4 on a five-point response scale. The results indicate a significant positive correlation between students professional identity and SRL ability ( $r$ = .46, $p$ < .001), providing support for hypothesis 1. Furthermore, consistent with our expectations, the results also indicate that intrinsic motivation is associated positively with professional identity and SRL ability ( $r$ = .50, $p$ < .001 and $r$ = 0.69, $p$ < .001, respectively). Additionally, from line 4 in Table 1, it can be observed that students sense of school belonging is significantly related to their intrinsic motivation and SRL ability ( $r$ = .63 and $r$ = .43, respectively).

Table 1.

Means, Standard Deviations, and Correlations of Observed Variables.

Variables	M	SD	SD	M	SD	SD
1. Professional identity	3.68	0.95	1
2. Intrinsic motivation	3.78	0.49	0.50^***	1
3. SRL ability	3.39	0.54	0.46^***	0.69^***	1
4. Sense of school belonging	3.71	0.75	−0.04	0.63^***	0.43^***	1

Note. $n$ = 691.

***

p < .001.

Means of Observed Variables in Different Grade and Major

Table 2 presents the means of the study variables for different grades and majors. The results show that students majoring in business have higher self-regulated learning ability, professional identity, intrinsic motivation, and sense of school belonging than students majoring in engineering and social science. This may be due to the greater competition and pressure in the job market for business majors. Besides, we found that as students progress through their academic careers, there is a general trend of increasing self-regulated learning ability, professional identity, intrinsic motivation, and sense of school belonging, with peak values typically reached during the junior year.

Table 2.

Means of Observed Variables in Different Grade and Major.

Variables	Grade				Major
	First	Second	Third	Fourth	Engineering	Social science	Business
PI	3.65	3.66	3.73	3.71	3.65	3.69	3.73
IM	3.67	3.88	3.82	3.82	3.82	3.72	3.85
SRL	3.34	3.37	3.44	3.38	3.38	3.37	3.39
SSB	3.63	3.68	3.78	3.70	3.70	3.68	3.74

Note. $n$ = 691. PI = professional identity; IM = intrinsic motivation; SRL = self-regulated learning; SSB = sense of school belonging.

Mediation Model Analysis

In hypothesis 2, we assumed that intrinsic motivation mediates the link between students professional identity and their SRL ability. To test this hypothesis, we followed the mediation analysis procedure proposed by Baron and Kenny (Baron & Kenny, 1986). Table 3 presents the results of the hierarchical regression analysis for the mediation effect of intrinsic motivation. As indicated in Table 3, in the first step, we found a significant positive relationship between students professional identity and their SRL ability ( $b$ = 0.46, $p$ < .001, see Model 1 in Table 3). In the second step, we found that students professional identity was significantly associated with their intrinsic motivation ( $b$ = 0.50, $p$ < .001, see Model 2 in Table 3). In the third step, we found that intrinsic motivation was significantly associated with SRL ability ( $b$ = 0.61, $p$ < .001, see Model 3 in Table 3). Therefore, the results of the mediation analysis indicate that intrinsic motivation fully mediates the relationship between professional identity and SRL ability.

Table 3.

Hierarchical Regression Results for Mediation Effect of Intrinsic Motivation.

Predictors	Model 1 (SRL)		Model 2 (IM)		Model 3 (SRL)
	b	t	b	t	b	t
PI	0.46	12.85***	0.50	14.42^***	0.15	4.62^***
IM					0.61	18.27^***
R ²	0.21		0.25		0.49
F	165.14^***		207.91^***		293.92^***

Note. $n$ = 691. Each column is a regression model that predicts the criterion at the top of the column. PI = professional identity; IM = intrinsic motivation; SRL = self-regulated learning.

***

p < .001.

We used the SPSS macro compiled by Hayes (Hayes, 2012) to examine the mediating effect of intrinsic motivation in the relationship between professional identity and SRL ability, while controlling for gender and age. Model 4 in the macro was used for this analysis. The bootstrapping results in Table 4 indicate that the direct effect (0.09) and the indirect effect (0.17) accounted for 34.62% and 65.38% of the total effect (0.26), respectively. Additionally, the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence interval for the indirect effect of students professional identity on their SRL ability ranged from 0.14 to 0.22, not containing zero. Therefore, these findings suggest that professional identity can not only directly predict students SRL ability but also enhance this association through the mediating role of intrinsic motivation. Hence, hypothesis 2 is supported.

Table 4.

Distribution of Total Effect, Direct Effect, and Intermediary Effect.

	Effect	SE	LLCI	ULCI	Effect proportion
Total effect	0.26	0.02	0.22	0.30
Indirect effect	0.17	0.04	0.14	0.22	65.38%
Direct effect	0.09	0.02	0.05	0.13	34.62%

Note. $n$ = 691. LL = lower limit; CI = confidence interval; UL = upper limit.

Testing for Moderated Mediation Effect

To test the moderating role of sense of school belonging, we employed the PROCESS macro (model 59) developed by Hayes (Hayes, 2012). Specifically, we estimated parameters for three regression models. In model 1, we estimated the moderating effect of sense of school belonging on the relationship between students professional identity and intrinsic motivation. In model 2, we estimated the moderating effect of sense of school belonging on the relationship between professional identity and students SRL ability, as well as the indirect effect through intrinsic motivation. Moderated mediation was established if either or both model patterns existed. Figure 2 and Table 5 present the path results of the hypothesized moderated mediation mode. Model 1 indicated that the effect of professional identity on intrinsic motivation was significant ( $b$ = 0.28, $p$ < .001), but this effect was not moderated by students sense of school belonging ( $b$ = −0.03, $p$ > .05). In model 2, there was a main effect of professional identity on SRL ability ( $b$ = 0.08, $p$ < .001), and this effect was moderated by students sense of school belonging ( $b$ = 0.07, $p$ < .001). We also found a significant main effect of intrinsic motivation on SRL ability ( $b$ = 0.58, $p$ < .001), and more importantly, this effect was also moderated by students sense of school belonging ( $b$ = 0.13, $p$ < .001).

Figure 2.

Statistical diagram of moderated mediation model in study. *** $p$ < .001.

Table 5.

Testing Moderated Mediation Effect of Professional Identity on SRL Ability.

Predictors	Model 1 (IM)		Model 2 (SRL)
	b	t	b	t
PI	0.28	21.93^***	0.08	3.41^***
SSB	0.42	28.71^***	0.09	2.78^***
PI×SSB	−0.03	−1.91	0.07	3.50^***
IM			0.58	10.52^***
IMS×SB			0.13	3.81^***
R ²	0.68		0.52
F	438.60^***		133.36^***

Note. $n$ = 691. PI = professional identity; IM = intrinsic motivation; SRL = self-regulated learning; SSB = sense of school belonging.

***

$p$ < .001.

To further investigate the moderating role of students sense of school belonging, we created high and low levels of different variables, such as one standard deviation below and above the mean score of the variable. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the interaction effect of professional identity and intrinsic motivation with students SRL ability at different levels of sense of school belonging. The results demonstrate that as sense of school belonging levels increased, the effect of professional identity on SRL ability increased, whereas the effect of intrinsic motivation on SRL ability decreased. These findings suggest that students with a high level of sense of school belonging have significantly stronger SRL ability than those with a low level of sense of school belonging. Moreover, the results indicate that professional identity relates to students SRL ability more significantly among those with a high level of sense of school belonging, while intrinsic motivation has a greater impact on SRL ability among those with a low level of sense of school belonging. In summary, sense of school belonging plays a moderating role in the relationship between professional identity, intrinsic motivation, and students SRL ability.

Figure 3.

Simple slopes of professional identity predicting self-regulated learning at Low (1 SD below M) and High (1 SD above M) levels of sense of school belonging.

Figure 4.

Simple slopes of intrinsic motivation predicting self-regulated learning at Low (1 SD below M) and High (1 SD above M) levels of sense of school belonging.

Discussion

Research on students SRL ability has shown that professional identity plays a significant role, and recent studies have provided empirical support for this claim (Matsuyama et al., 2021a). However, there is still much to learn about the underlying mediating and moderating mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to investigate a moderated mediation model, examining whether professional identity affects SRL ability through intrinsic motivation and whether sense of school belonging moderates these relationships. Our findings indicate that intrinsic motivation partially explains the relationship between professional identity and SRL ability, with professional identity predicting intrinsic motivation, and intrinsic motivation predicting SRL ability. Additionally, sense of school belonging moderates both the direct and indirect effects of professional identity on SRL ability. Overall, this study highlights the importance of professional identity and sense of school belonging in fostering SRL among college students, and contributes to our understanding of these key factors.

The mediation analysis revealed that professional identity had a positive effect on intrinsic motivation, which in turn was positively associated with SRL, indicating that intrinsic motivation partially mediated the relationship between professional identity and SRL. This finding supports the “identity-based motivation theory proposed by Oyserman,” which suggests that when a persons identity aligns with a task, he is more likely to complete it because he recognize its importance (Oyserman et al., 2017). Furthermore, our results are consistent with previous studies demonstrating that developing a professional identity can enhance student engagement, well-being, and intrinsic motivation (Field et al., 2013). Students with high sense of professional identity have a deeper understanding of the subjects they are studying, enabling them to envision their future career paths, observe professional behaviors, and pay closer attention to their learning. In other words, the sense of professional identity can create emotional acceptance and recognition, which students can externalize as positive behaviors and apply to their learning (Johnson et al., 2023).

Motivation is a crucial component of SRL, as SRL is difficult to achieve without it. A growing body of research emphasizes the significance of intrinsic motivation for college students SRL (McDowell, 2019). In this study, intrinsic motivation is viewed as an energetic force rather than a stable personality trait. Motivation drives behaviors (Canrinus et al., 2011), so educators should help students define and develop their professional identity, identify their major, and discover their future professional life throughout their university study. Hence, how to enhance a students learning motivation, interest, attitude, and investment has become an important research direction for educators.

Our findings suggest that students sense of school belonging can predict their SRL, and the relationship between professional identity and SRL can be influenced indirectly by intrinsic motivation through sense of school belonging. These results consistent with previous research that students with high school belonging tend to have good academic performance (K. A. Allen et al., 2022). For instance, a study by Won, Wolters, and Mueller found that students with a high sense of belonging exhibit better metacognition, time management, and peer learning strategies (Won et al., 2018). The results indicate that when students perceive themselves as an important part of the school environment and feel supported and accepted, they are more likely to self-regulate their learning process. Furthermore, students with a high sense of school belonging have significantly stronger SRL ability than those with a low sense of school belonging. This can be explained by the social cognitive theory, which suggests that the environment shapes behavior (Mann, 2006), and environmental factors, such as sense of school belonging, can affect students academic performance through internal factors (Slaten et al., 2016). As one of the most important environments in which students learn and live, sense of school belonging plays a crucial role in students motivation and learning behavior. When students feel a sense of belonging, it can strengthen their motivation and enhance their learning. Conversely, when students do not feel a sense of belonging, they may experience negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, anger, and sadness. The findings of this study revealed that intrinsic motivation has a significant positive predictive effect on self-regulated learning, irrespective of the level of sense of school belonging. Intrinsic motivation is a crucial factor in the SRL framework (Wu & Chang, 2021), as it influences the level of effort and persistence involved in completing assignments and employing self-regulated strategies (Zumbrunn et al., 2011). When students are motivated, they are more likely to invest the necessary time and energy and apply appropriate self-regulation skills. Successful employment of self-regulation strategies, in turn, motivates students to complete learning tasks (Lespiau & Tricot, 2019). According to St-Amand, sense of school belonging provides a supportive social and emotional environment that makes students feel accepted, respected, and encouraged, thus making them more likely to engage in self-directed learning (St-Amand et al., 2017). Students are motivated to participate in learning because they realize that they belong to a school and that their behavior can have a positive impact on the school. Motivation is an intrinsic driving force for students to engage in learning and is closely related to professional identity. When students are interested and passionate about a particular field, they are more likely to invest time and effort in learning and eventually develop their professional identity.

Implications for Improving Self-Regulated Learning Ability

SRL is an essential competency for lifelong learning, and college study plays a critical role in developing ones professional identity. The moderated mediation model in this study sheds light on the underlying mechanism by which professional identity enhances SRL (i.e., motivation as a mediator), as well as the role of individual differences in this mechanism (i.e., school belonging as a moderator). From the perspective of research content, this study examines the influence of professional identity and school belonging on SRL ability from both a professional and a school-level perspective. In real-life situations, SRL ability is influenced by multiple factors such as individuals, majors, and schools. Our study bridges this gap by exploring the relationship between multiple variables and enriches the theoretical model of SRL.

The results of this study have important practical implications and add value to the exploration of collective construction and organizational construction from the perspective of positive psychology. To enhance students SRL ability, it is important to not only focus on enhancing their professional identity but also their sense of belonging to school. By promoting professional identity and enhancing sense of belonging, we can better enhance students learning motivation and promote the development of SRL ability. Firstly, the study highlights the significance of professional identity in promoting SRL through intrinsic motivation. To achieve this, educators can provide students with employment prospects and learning interests to strengthen their professional identity and learning motivation. Additionally, they can establish good teacher-student relationships and mutual trust in teaching, to strengthen students sense of school belonging and enhance their SRL. By cultivating students professional identity, they can improve their emotional responses, motivations, and self-learning ability. These findings provide evidence for educators that PIF-oriented educational schemes can encourage intrinsic motivation, and help to support undergraduates SRL ability.

Limitations and Future Research Suggestions

One limitation of this study is that the sample size is limited to undergraduate students from two universities in Shandong Province, which may limit the generalizability of the results to other populations. To improve the research, future studies could include a larger and more diverse sample. Another limitation is that the approach used in this study is cross-sectional and not longitudinal, which may limit the ability to draw causal inferences. In future research, a time series design could be adopted to establish causality and strengthen the validity of the results. Additionally, future studies could explore the ways in which professional identity can promote learning engagement and how to establish PIF-oriented intrinsic motivation among undergraduates to support the development of SRL. Finally, incorporating a theoretical perspective of hierarchy of needs could deepen our understanding of the relationship between sense of school belonging and SRL ability.

Conclusion

In this study, it was found that students with high professional identity tend to have increased SRL ability through intrinsic motivation, especially those with a strong sense of school belonging. The results indicate that sense of school belonging acts as a moderator between professional identity, intrinsic motivation, and students SRL ability. This research sheds light on the antecedent factors of SRL ability and demonstrates that enhancing students sense of school belonging can lead to improvements in SRL ability. Overall, this study contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the importance of intrinsic motivation and sense of school belonging in the development of SRL ability among students with high professional identity.

Footnotes

We would like to thank the associate editor for organizing the review of our manuscript and all reviewers for their comments and constructive suggestions.

Author Contributions

Ling Xu and Lijun Ma provided substantial contributions to the research conception and design. Ling Xu and Shouqiang Dou analyzed and interpreted the data. Ling Xu,Peng Duan and Lijun Ma wrote and revised the paper. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research,authorship,and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research,authorship,and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by Teaching Reform Project of Liaocheng University [grant numbers: G202119,G202120,G202103,G201721];Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province [grant number: ZR2016FL13];Doctoral Research Foundation Project of Liaocheng University [grant number: 318051532];and the Key Teaching Reform Project of Shandong Province [grant number: Z2021159].

Ethics Statement

We obtained approval from the ethics committee of Liaocheng University. The participants completed the surveys anonymously and voluntarily with no negative consequences for not completing them. All participants gave written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (World Medical Association [WMA],2009).

ORCID iD

Ling Xu

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Professional Identity and Self-Regulated Learning: The Mediating Role of Intrinsic Motivation and the Moderating Role of Sense of School Belonging

Abstract

Keywords

Introduction

Students Professional Identity and SRL Ability

The Mediating Effect of Intrinsic Motivation

The Moderating Role of Students Sense of School Belonging

Methods

Study Design

Participants and Data Collection

Instruments

Students Professional Identity

Students Intrinsic Motivation

Students Sense of School Belonging

Self-Regulated Learning

Controls

Data Analysis and Availability

Ethics Statement

Results

Descriptive and Correlation Statistics

Means of Observed Variables in Different Grade and Major

Mediation Model Analysis

Testing for Moderated Mediation Effect

Discussion

Implications for Improving Self-Regulated Learning Ability

Limitations and Future Research Suggestions

Conclusion

Footnotes

Author Contributions

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

Funding

Ethics Statement

ORCID iD

References