The Impact of Learning Motivation on Learning Outcomes in Digital-Based Safety Education at Universities in Korea - Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Learning Engagement

This study aimed to analyze the impact of learners’ learning motivation on learning outcomes in a digital safety education environment and to empirically verify the mediating effect of learning engagement in this relationship. A survey was conducted with 374 undergraduate students enrolled in four-year universities across the country, focusing on three main variables: learning motivation, learning engagement, and learning outcomes. The questionnaire was developed based on previous studies, and its validity was confirmed through exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent and discriminant validity were also verified, and the reliability coefficients (Cronbach’s α) for all variables were above .90, indicating high reliability. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0, AMOS 23.0, and PROCESS Macro 4.2, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and mediation analysis. The results revealed that learning motivation had a significant positive effect on learning outcomes, learning motivation significantly increased learning engagement, and learning engagement partially mediated the relationship between learning motivation and learning outcomes. These findings suggest that considering learners’ intrinsic motivation and engagement levels plays an important role in improving learning outcomes in digital safety education, and emphasize the need to incorporate such aspects into future safety education content development.