Motivational Pathways to Vocational Commitment: A Longitudinal Study of Self‐Determined Regulation and Instructional Influences

ABSTRACT Research on how vocational education and training (VET) foster vocational commitment has often overlooked the temporal effect of pedagogic factors. This study investigates the motivational pathways to vocational commitment as a crucial educational outcome by differentiating between commitment to the occupation and commitment to the training company (organization) . Drawing on self‐determination theory, we examine how both time‐invariant and time‐varying motivational and pedagogical contextual factors influence commitment trajectories over time. A total of 458 commercial trainees in commercial VET programmes (Kaufmännische Ausbildungsberufe) within the German dual system were followed across three data collection waves at the beginning, middle and end of training. Participants were randomly selected from 10 vocational schools located in North Rhine‐Westphalia and Baden‐Württemberg. The sample was 36% male and 64% female, with an average age of 19.66 years. Using latent growth modelling, we analyzed how initial motivation (from external to integrated regulation) and dynamic pedagogical factors predict occupational and organizational commitment. Findings reveal both scope and the temporal dynamics in commitment: Integrated regulation fosters strong initial commitment both to company and occupation, but may lead to a decline over time, while introjected regulation leads to lower initial commitment but growth during training. Contextual predictors such as autonomy support and involvement in expert culture are domain‐specific, influencing only company commitment but not occupational commitment. Functional involvement and competence recognition are domain‐linked, influencing both company commitment and occupational commitment. Notably, the negative effects of early‐stage pressure reversed over time, suggesting a developmental shift in how trainees appraise stress. Vocational commitment develops dynamically and is shaped by both stable motivational orientations and time‐varying instructional factors, with effects differing across training stages and between company and occupation. These findings highlight the need for phase‐specific and domain‐sensitive pedagogical interventions in vocational training.