Evaluation of professional course teaching behavior and self-reported professional competence in medical students: the effects of professional identity evaluation and campus environment satisfaction

This study examines the association between professional course teachers' teaching behavior and medical students' self-reported professional competence, with a particular focus on the mediating role of professional identity evaluation and the moderating role of campus environment satisfaction. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, recruiting 430 full-time undergraduate students from a medical university in Guizhou Province, China. Data were collected via self-reported questionnaires measuring four core variables—evaluation of teaching behavior, professional identity evaluation, campus environment satisfaction, and self-reported professional competence—using 5-point Likert scales. Mediation and moderation analyses were conducted using the PROCESS macro for SPSS. (1) Teaching behavior evaluation was significantly and positively associated with self-reported professional competence; (2) Professional identity evaluation partially mediated this relationship; and (3) Campus environment satisfaction significantly moderated the association between professional identity evaluation and self-reported professional competence, such that the positive relationship was stronger at higher levels of campus environment satisfaction. These findings offer theoretical insights and practical implications for optimizing teaching behaviors and enhancing the cultivation of professional competence among medical students.