Learning Motivation, Self-Efficacy and Performance Ability among Folk Dance Majors: An Analysis of Mediating Effects

Folk dance, as an important component of Chinese intangible cultural heritage, plays a significant role in higher education by integrating cultural inheritance, aesthetic education, and skill training. In recent years, the psychological mechanisms underlying students’ artistic learning processes have attracted increasing attention, particularly the roles of learning motivation and self-efficacy in shaping performance outcomes. The study employed a quantitative research approach, with undergraduate students majoring in folk dance from higher education institutions in Hebei Province, China, as the research participants. A total of 219 valid responses were obtained through a questionnaire survey. Data were collected using scales measuring learning motivation, self-efficacy, and performance ability. Descriptive statistical analysis, regression analysis, and Bootstrap mediation analysis with 5,000 resamples were conducted to validate the proposed research model. The results indicated that learning motivation significantly and positively predicted self-efficacy (? = 0.55, p < 0.001), with the regression model explaining 37.4% of the variance in self-efficacy (R² = 0.374). Furthermore, learning motivation significantly and positively predicted performance ability (? = 0.29, p < 0.001), explaining 21.9% of the variance in performance ability (R² = 0.219). After self-efficacy was included, the coefficient of learning motivation decreased to ? = 0.24 but remained significant (p < 0.001), while self-efficacy significantly predicted performance ability (? = 0.49, p < 0.001). The explanatory power of the model increased to 39.1% (R² = 0.391). The Bootstrap mediation analysis further demonstrated that the indirect effect of learning motivation on performance ability through self-efficacy was significant (Effect = 0.263, 95% CI [0.126, 0.244]). The direct effect was also significant (Effect = 0.287, 95% CI [0.198, 0.376]), indicating that self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between learning motivation and performance ability. The mediating effect accounted for 47.82% of the total effect. By integrating Self-Determination Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, this study developed and empirically validated a mechanism model of learning motivation, self-efficacy, and performance ability, revealing the psychological pathway through which motivational factors are transformed into competence beliefs during the development of performance ability among folk dance students. The findings demonstrated that enhancing students’ learning motivation could not only directly promote performance ability development but also further improve professional performance through strengthening self-efficacy. This study provides theoretical foundations and practical implications for optimizing psychological support, stimulating learning motivation, and improving professional competence in higher education folk dance instruction.