TY  - EJOU
AU  - Li, ng 
AU  - Xu, Ninghui 
AU  - Wang, Wenjing 
AU  - Ying, Jianfen 

TI  - Who I am shapes how I learn: A mixed methods study exploring the role of work identity and psychological needs in learning engagement
T2  - Journal of Psychology in Africa

PY  - 2025
VL  - 35
IS  - 6
SN  - 1815-5626

AB  - This study explores the role of teachers’ professional identity (TPI) on employee learning engagement (LE), with mediation by basic needs satisfaction (BNS). Participants were 255 Chinese pre-service teachers (191 females = 74.9%, 16 freshmen = 6.2%, 135 sophomores = 52.9%, 35 juniors = 12.5%, 72 seniors = 28.2%). They completed surveys on the “QuestionStar” online survey platform and 12 of the teachers completed interviews for sharing their personal insights. The results of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated that teachers’ professional identity significantly predicted both learning engagement and basic needs satisfaction, with basic needs satisfaction partially mediating the relationship between teachers’ professional identity and learning engagement. A strong professional identity fosters engagement directly and indirectly by satisfying psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Qualitative data revealed that alignment between professional identity and learning experiences enhances motivation, persistence, and reflection, while identity confusion or unmet psychological needs lead to disengagement. These findings highlight the critical role of fostering professional identity development within teacher training curricula to enhance motivational outcomes, learning engagement, and reflective teaching practices in nurturing educational settings.
KW  - pre-service English teacher; teacher professional identity; learning engagement; basic needs satisfaction; SDT

DO  - 10.32604/jpa.2025.071557