Learning burnout (LB) is a critical factor influencing university students’ learning engagement. While existing research has explored the relationships among professional identity (PI), mental resilience (MR), and learning burnout (LB), most studies have oversimplified the impact of PI on LB as a direct causal pathway. Against the backdrop of the growing demand for higher education quality improvement, this study aims to address the existing gaps in understanding the complex interaction mechanisms among these three constructs (i.e., PI, MR, and LB). Specifically, it focuses on the mechanism underlying the relationship between PI and LB, with an emphasis on examining the mediating effect of MR. The study results showed that: (1) PI exerted a significant positive predictive effect on MR (β = .255, p < .001), with the dimensions of Professional Self and Behavioral Tendency contributing the most; (2) PI had a significant negative impact on LB (β = −.122, p < .025), and the three dimensions of Attitude and Motivation, Professional Self, and Professional Environment were particularly prominent in this regard; (3) The inhibitory effect of MR on LB (β = −.243, p < .001) was mainly reflected in alleviating the Low Achievement. Mediation analysis indicated that MR played a partial mediating role between PI and LB (mediation effect size = −0.07, 95%CI −0.120, −0.039). These results provide a theoretical basis and practical pathways for colleges and universities to reduce students’ LB by improving their PI and MR, and hold important implications for optimizing the talent cultivation system.
Huang et al. (Thu,) studied this question.