Abstract

This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of learning motivation and the moderating effects of sports confidence in the relationship between self-leadership and self-efficacy among college students, considering the increasing importance of physical activity in their daily lives. The participants consisted of 312 college students (168 males, 144 females) residing in Seoul and Daejeon. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), and moderation effect analysis. The results were as follows: First, no significant differences were found in self-leadership, learning motivation, and self-efficacy across gender, grade level, and type of exercise, except for learning motivation, which showed a significant gender difference. Second, self-leadership had a direct and significant effect on self-efficacy. Third, learning motivation significantly mediated the relationship between self-leadership and self-efficacy. Fourth, the moderating effect of sports confidence was significant in the relationships between self-leadership and self-efficacy and between learning motivation and self-efficacy, but not between self-leadership and learning motivation. These findings indicate that college students with higher levels of sports confidence exhibited a stronger positive effect of learning motivation on self-efficacy, suggesting that confidence developed through sports can amplify the beneficial impact of learning motivation. Overall, the study highlights the importance of fostering both self-directed learning skills and sports confidence to enhance students’ self-efficacy and psychological development.