The impact of goal orientation on Chinese university students’ reading engagement: the mediating roles of boredom and self-efficacy

TL;DR

This study explores how students' goals and emotions like boredom and self-efficacy affect their reading engagement in Chinese universities.

Contribution

It provides new cross-cultural insights by integrating motivational and emotional factors in a unified model for non-Western higher education.

Findings

Goal orientation positively correlates with reading engagement (β = 0.42, p < 0.001).

Boredom negatively mediates the relationship, while self-efficacy mediates it positively.

The combined dual mediation of boredom and self-efficacy was not significant.

Abstract

Drawing on achievement goal theory and self-efficacy theory, this study investigates how goal orientation shapes reading engagement, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of boredom and self-efficacy. While prior research has examined these factors separately, few studies have integrated them within a single analytical model, and even fewer have done so in non-Western higher education contexts.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 522 undergraduates from universities in mainland China. Participants completed validated measures of goal orientation, boredom, self-efficacy, and reading engagement. Pearson correlations and path analysis were employed to test the hypothesized mediation model.

Goal orientation was positively associated with reading engagement (β = 0.42, p < 0.001). Boredom emerged as a significant negative mediator, whereas self-efficacy acted as a positive mediator. However, the dual mediation pathway of boredom and self-efficacy combined was not significant, indicating that motivational and affective processes may influence engagement through distinct channels.

This study contributes new cross-cultural evidence on the mechanisms linking motivation, affect, and engagement in higher education. Findings underscore the importance of cultivating meaningful learning goals and strengthening students’ self-efficacy to sustain reading engagement, particularly in contexts where academic pressure is high. The study advances theoretical understanding by integrating motivational and emotional mediators within a unified model, offering insights relevant for both Chinese and international educational settings.

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