Self-efficacy and academic buoyancy of Chinese undergraduates studying English: Self-regulated learning as a mediator

Navigating the academic challenges of learning English as a foreign language at the undergraduate level necessitates sustained motivation and confidence while employing effective learning strategies. We investigated the relationship between self-efficacy and academic buoyancy, and explored the mediating role of self-regulated learning. Our sample comprised 621 Chinese undergraduates who were studying English as a foreign language. Results of correlation analysis and structural equation modeling indicated that self-efficacy positively predicted academic buoyancy, with self-regulated learning serving as a significant partial mediator. These results elucidate the underlying mechanism linking self-efficacy to academic buoyancy and offer implications for fostering students’ resilience in foreign language learning.