Connecting the learning environment to student motivation and identity in physics: The mediating role of learning burnout

In introductory physics courses, which are foundational for many science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, students’ motivational beliefs, such as self-efficacy, interest, and identity, are critical for their success and persistence. However, the high academic demands of physics courses can lead to learning burnout, a detrimental psychological syndrome comprising exhaustion, cynicism, and inadequacy that threatens student development. Despite the recognized importance of a supportive learning environment, there is a lack of research on the role of learning burnout in physics. More specifically, the pathways linking the learning environment, burnout, and motivational beliefs, as well as the generalizability of these pathways across genders, have not been systematically investigated. This study addresses these gaps by testing a model where learning burnout mediates the relationship between students’ perceived learning environment and their motivational beliefs and physics identity. The research employed a cross-sectional survey design with a sample of undergraduate students ( <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> <a:mrow> <a:mi>N</a:mi> <a:mo>=</a:mo> <a:mn>1</a:mn> <a:mn>5</a:mn> <a:mn>7</a:mn> <a:mn>4</a:mn> </a:mrow> </a:math> ) from three universities in China. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized associations and multigroup SEM to examine gender invariance. The results revealed that a positive perceived learning environment, particularly a strong sense of belonging, was significantly associated with lower learning burnout. Furthermore, the study confirmed that learning burnout, specifically the dimensions of cynicism and inadequacy, partially mediated the relationship between the learning environment and students’ motivational beliefs. Students’ physics identity was most strongly and directly associated with perceived recognition, interest, and self-efficacy. Crucially, the structural model demonstrated invariance across genders, indicating that the identified psychological pathways are equivalent for male and female students. This study makes a significant contribution by integrating the concept of learning burnout into the physics education research framework and identifying its role as a key mediator. It provides a new perspective on gender equity, suggesting that disparities may arise from differing perceptions of the learning environment rather than from fundamentally different psychological processes.