Nursing Learning Self-Efficacy as a Mediator Between Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Self-Efficacy

Background: Academic self-efficacy (ASE) is critical for achievement. We examined whether domain-specific Nursing learning self-efficacy (NLSE), encompassing cognition, application, and nursing communication (NC), mediates the link between self-regulated learning (SRL) and ASE in junior college nursing students. Method: We surveyed 914 students (analytic n = 878), validated the measures using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and tested mediation through structural equation modeling with 5,000 bootstrapped samples. Semi-structured interviews with 12 purposively selected students contextualized the quantitative findings. Results: SRL had a direct effect on ASE and indirect effects via cognition and NC. The application path was not significant. Interviews showed SRL fosters mastery and confidence, but skill transfer is hindered by anxiety and unfamiliar clinical contexts. Conclusion: SRL promotes ASE directly and indirectly through cognition and NC. Programs should pair strategy training with structured communication practice and graded, authentic simulations to bridge the gap between the laboratory and the clinic.