The impact of outcome-based education on learning efficiency in higher education: mediating role of motivation and moderating role of emotional regulation

This study examines how Outcome-Based Education (OBE) components influence learning efficiency (LE) by investigating the mediating role of learning motivation (LM) and the moderating role of emotional regulation (ER) in a performance-based discipline. The novelty of this research lies in integrating OBE structural elements with the Control-Value Theory of Achievement Emotions (CVTAE) to explain the psychological mechanisms underlying learning efficiency in broadcasting and hosting arts education—an area that remains underexplored in OBE research. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 178 undergraduate students from a Malaysian higher education institution. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (SmartPLS 4.0) to test direct, mediating, and moderating effects. The results show significant direct effects of constructive curriculum alignment (CCAA → LE: T = 2.255, p = 0.024), formative feedback and alignment (FFCA → LE: T = 3.746, p < 0.001), and learning motivation (LM → LE: T = 3.036, p = 0.002). Learning motivation significantly mediated the relationships between CDLO, CCAA, and FFCA with learning efficiency. However, emotional regulation did not significantly moderate the LM–LE relationship. These findings confirm that motivational mechanisms are the primary pathway through which OBE components enhance learning efficiency. The study extends CVTAE into the OBE framework and provides evidence-based guidance for designing alignment-driven and feedback-oriented curricula that strengthen student motivation in performance-based education.