The role of learning motivation in linking regulatory emotional self-efficacy to professional identity among vocational medical students: A universal pathway across active and passive major choices

OBJECTIVE: This study compared regulatory emotional self-efficacy (RESE), learning motivation (LM), and professional identity (PI) between vocational medical students who actively chose their major and those who did not, and further examined the mediating role of LM in the relationship between RESE and PI. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 332 first-year vocational medical students were divided into an active choice group (n = 155) and a passive choice group (n = 177) based on their reasons for selecting their major. Participants completed validated scales measuring RESE, LM, and PI. Group comparisons were conducted using independent samples t-tests, and mediation analysis was performed using bootstrapping procedures. RESULTS: Students in the active choice group reported significantly higher levels of RESE (t = 2.227, p < 0.05), LM (t = 3.679, p < 0.05), and PI (t = 6.779, p < 0.001) than those in the passive choice group. Notably, LM fully mediated the relationship between RESE and PI (indirect effect β = 0.348, 95% CI [0.260, 0.456]). This mediating pathway was statistically significant and stable within both the active and passive choice groups. CONCLUSIONS: Autonomy in major choice appears to be an important factor associated with psychological resources. More importantly, learning motivation emerges as a significant and consistent mediator in the relationship between regulatory emotional self-efficacy and stronger professional identity. These findings suggest that beyond encouraging autonomous choice, educational interventions targeting emotional self-efficacy and learning motivation may be associated with professional identity not only for autonomous choosers, but also for those who did not actively select their field of study.