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Purpose Grounded in the frameworks of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Sustainable Development Goal 4.7 (SDG 4.7), this study explores how support mechanisms in experiential learning within tourism management influence students’ sustained engagement through processes of internalization. Methods A qualitative research design was adopted. Guided by constructivist grounded theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with tourism management teachers ( n = 10) and students ( n = 10) from two universities in Jeollabuk-do, South Korea. The data were analyzed through open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. Findings The findings indicate that: (1) teacher instructional guidance demonstrates a dual-pathway structure consisting of structured guidance and reflective–emotional guidance, which provides students with action pathways and regulates uncertain learning contexts; (2) student participation support sustains the progression of learning through mechanisms of cognitive coordination and emotion regulation; and (3) during sustained engagement, these forms of support are gradually internalized, manifested in the formation of psychological safety, which further reinforces self-efficacy and participation interest, and ultimately transforms into stable positive psychological experiences, thereby supporting sustained engagement. Conclusion From a process-oriented perspective, this study reveals the formation mechanism of support–internalization–sustained engagement in experiential learning within tourism management education.
Zhao et al. (Thu,) studied this question.