Abstract

This study explores the direct and indirect relationships between ethnic identity, learning motivation, and academic performance among college students in Guangxi Province, China. Using a quantitative approach with an explanatory research design, data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 900 students from three regional colleges. The research hypotheses were tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS4 software. The results show that learning motivation fully mediates the relationship between ethnic identity and academic performance. The findings indicate that ethnic identity enhances students’ learning motivation, which in turn strongly improves their academic performance. However, ethnic identity does not have a significant direct effect on academic performance. These results highlight the important role of learning motivation and suggest that strengthening ethnic identity may support academic success among ethnic minority students.