How Academic Motivation and Self-efficacy Predict Learning Burnout: An Empirical Study of Senior English Majors in Higher Education

How Academic Motivation and Self-efficacy Predict Learning Burnout: An Empirical Study of Senior English Majors in Higher Education | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article How Academic Motivation and Self-efficacy Predict Learning Burnout: An Empirical Study of Senior English Majors in Higher Education Binfeng Chen, Xinyi Lai This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8566329/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 29 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in BMC Psychology → Version 1 posted 19 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract With the escalating demands on English major education, senior students in independent colleges face immense pressures from graduation requirements and career transitions, making the issue of learning burnout increasingly prominent. This study aims to examine the current status of their academic motivation, self-efficacy, and learning burnout, and to explore the predictive effects of the former two variables on the latter, with implications for refining targeted interventions to alleviate burnout and enhance learning sustainability among this specific student group. A sample of 64 senior English majors from Z College participated in the research. Data were collected via standardized scales and semi-structured interviews, with quantitative analyses conducted using SPSS 27.0. Results indicate that intrinsic motivation and partial extrinsic motivation dimensions negatively predict learning burnout, while amotivation positively predicts it. Self-efficacy, though negatively correlated with burnout, exerts no significant independent predictive effect during the graduation stage, being overshadowed by the dominant influence of academic motivation. Academic motivation self-efficacy study burnout senior English majors Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 29 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in BMC Psychology → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 09 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 07 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 07 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 21 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Jan, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 21 Jan, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 21 Jan, 2026 Editor invited by journal 19 Jan, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 14 Jan, 2026 First submitted to journal 14 Jan, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8566329","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":578499493,"identity":"6b653d4a-cac6-4df7-8461-1369a641997c","order_by":0,"name":"Binfeng Chen","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABAUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACNvbGhgMfKv7J8TMfMICKJeDXws9zuPHgjDMHjCXbEojUIjkjvfkwb8uBxA3HiNVicCCx4QBvw53EzceYN3/42XaYgZ89x4Dh5w58Wg42HJDc8cx42zG2AsOeM4cZJHveGDD2nsGj5SDQ+4ZnmGW33e8xSGaoOMxgcCPHgJmxDY+Ww4wNBxLbmBk3t/EYANUfZrAnpEWyDajlYNthxQ1sPIbNYFskCGjh52FsONhwJs1Y4hhbMWPPmXQeiTPPCg724tHCJv/88ec/FTZy/G3gELOW429P3vjgJx4t6KCZB0QeIF4DA0MdKYpHwSgYBaNghAAAF3leLVT2n3kAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Fuzhou University Zhicheng College","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Binfeng","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""},{"id":578499494,"identity":"ff341b54-f2eb-4f01-b2cb-eadd417dd8fe","order_by":1,"name":"Xinyi Lai","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fuzhou University Zhicheng College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xinyi","middleName":"","lastName":"Lai","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-10 07:08:17","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8566329/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8566329/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04424-6","type":"published","date":"2026-03-29T16:11:55+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":100915841,"identity":"bb67e3fc-c116-4fdb-ae92-34b5754dc975","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 18:29:50","extension":"doc","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":267776,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"article0115.doc","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8566329/v1/2b40bb78990639b56010d747.doc"},{"id":100915839,"identity":"bbd4d26a-6e77-47ff-a154-d3d74b86774d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-22 18:29:50","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":3932,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"e19fa5c8e1bd4c7c82b9ee14eb6f84da.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8566329/v1/9547e9101b6061d77a492779.json"},{"id":105756114,"identity":"bb55cc76-7c51-45de-9817-67a6d9c0c953","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-30 16:35:54","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":462758,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"article0115.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8566329/v1_covered_0265814a-e863-4b51-8e57-205b751ee7a9.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"How Academic Motivation and Self-efficacy Predict Learning Burnout: An Empirical Study of Senior English Majors in Higher Education","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Academic motivation, self-efficacy, study burnout, senior English majors","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8566329/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8566329/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"With the escalating demands on English major education, senior students in independent colleges face immense pressures from graduation requirements and career transitions, making the issue of learning burnout increasingly prominent. This study aims to examine the current status of their academic motivation, self-efficacy, and learning burnout, and to explore the predictive effects of the former two variables on the latter, with implications for refining targeted interventions to alleviate burnout and enhance learning sustainability among this specific student group. A sample of 64 senior English majors from Z College participated in the research. Data were collected via standardized scales and semi-structured interviews, with quantitative analyses conducted using SPSS 27.0. Results indicate that intrinsic motivation and partial extrinsic motivation dimensions negatively predict learning burnout, while amotivation positively predicts it. Self-efficacy, though negatively correlated with burnout, exerts no significant independent predictive effect during the graduation stage, being overshadowed by the dominant influence of academic motivation.","manuscriptTitle":"How Academic Motivation and Self-efficacy Predict Learning Burnout: An Empirical Study of Senior English Majors in Higher Education","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-22 18:29:45","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8566329/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-02-09T07:41:01+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-07T18:34:10+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-07T13:44:13+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"277721862782755751096119279409240486853","date":"2026-01-26T07:07:55+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"41784781931215781156924085251092371854","date":"2026-01-26T06:31:39+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"140919458316819303067352157492854722227","date":"2026-01-23T09:35:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"247401281845384102110764410256934247826","date":"2026-01-23T08:19:06+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"110769658974573944079695950929048876005","date":"2026-01-22T20:47:23+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"84669909806006113817870702594456199646","date":"2026-01-22T15:51:06+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-21T23:59:44+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"293977014303439911573081079176997059591","date":"2026-01-21T23:59:00+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"124762391999376008518282072390015291758","date":"2026-01-21T23:35:08+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"337784593366239925863746989133574615826","date":"2026-01-21T09:17:52+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"233491942273052320668283573256250594063","date":"2026-01-21T07:26:52+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-21T06:27:37+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-01-21T06:20:36+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-20T04:26:25+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-01-14T17:18:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Psychology","date":"2026-01-14T17:11:05+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-psychology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"psyo","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Psychology](http://bmcpsychology.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"BMC Psychology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"1832648c-3092-49a6-9d4a-1d9c329f19dc","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 22nd, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-30T16:33:02+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-8566329","link":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04424-6","journal":{"identity":"bmc-psychology","isVorOnly":false,"title":"BMC Psychology"},"publishedOn":"2026-03-29 16:11:55","publishedOnDateReadable":"March 29th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-22 18:29:45","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1186/s40359-026-04424-6","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-04424-6","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8566329","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8566329","identity":"rs-8566329","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}