Mindfulness and learning engagement among undergraduate dance majors: the serial mediating roles of self-efficacy and academic burnout

Background: In recent years, China has continued to strengthen arts education reform and the development of aesthetic education. The training regimen for dance majors is characterized by high intensity, high repetition, precise error correction, and continuous assessment; the stress resulting from these factors can affect their physical and mental wellbeing. Understanding the internal mechanism that promotes learning engagement can help clarify the transmission paths among related variables and provide a theoretical basis for targeted intervention strategies.

Objective: This study examines the relationship between mindfulness and learning engagement among undergraduate dance majors, and the mediating effects of self-efficacy and academic burnout.

Methods: The sample comprised 711 undergraduate dance majors from five universities across five provinces in China. Data were collected using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Adolescent Student Burnout Inventory, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were conducted, and the hypothesized serial mediation model was tested using the PROCESS macro (Model 6) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples.

Results: The findings indicated that (1) mindfulness was significantly and positively associated with learning engagement (r = 0.330, p < 0.01); (2) the association between mindfulness and learning engagement was partially mediated by self-efficacy [95% CI = (0.07, 0.17), Boot SE = 0.02]; (3) the association between mindfulness and learning engagement was partially mediated by academic burnout [95% CI = (0.12, 0.22), Boot SE = 0.03]; and (4) the serial indirect effect through self-efficacy and academic burnout was significant [95% CI = (0.04, 0.09), Boot SE = 0.01].

Conclusion: The results validate the sequential mediation roles of self-efficacy and academic burnout in the association between mindfulness and learning engagement. By improving students' mindfulness, strengthening their self-efficacy, and reducing academic burnout, learning engagement in high-standard dance training contexts may be further enhanced.