The Effect of Social Support on Learning Investment among Nursing Students: The Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy

Background Social support significantly influences nursing students' academic and professional development, yet its specific impact on learning engagement remains underexplored. Self-efficacy may mediate this relationship, but evidence is limited. Understanding how social support affects learning engagement through self-efficacy is crucial for optimizing nursing education. This study examines the impact of social support on nursing students' learning engagement and the mediating role of self-efficacy,offering insights for educators. Method A total of 309 nursing students from 12 schools participated in this survey, completing a self-designed questionnaire that included scales measuring learning engagement, perceived social support, and self-efficacy, in addition to collecting demographic data such as educational level and age. Data analysis was conducted via SPSS 21.0 to explore the relationships among the variables. AMOS 26.0 software facilitated mediation analysis to assess the moderating effects of self-efficacy. Bootstrap analyses were used to evaluate the mediating effect between variables. Results The study revealed significant positive correlations between learning engagement (84.42 ± 21.24), social support (69.04 ± 11.15), and self-efficacy (27.78 ± 6.63) (p < 0.01). Social support significantly influenced both learning engagement (β = 0.282, p < 0.01) and self-efficacy (β = 0.503, p < 0.01). Furthermore, self-efficacy had a significant impact on learning engagement (β = 0.482, p < 0.01), partially mediating the relationship between social support and learning engagement, with a mediation effect ratio of 46%. Conclusion The findings highlight the significant positive impact of social support on learning engagement among nursing students:, with self-efficacy serving as a critical mediator in this relationship. To promote more active learning engagement, it is recommended that educators prioritize strengthening social support systems and enhancing students' self-efficacy. Special attention should be given to fostering self-efficacy among non-only children, as this may further optimize their learning experiences and outcomes. These insights provide valuable guidance for developing targeted educational interventions in nursing training programs.