THE “MOTIVATOR-HYGIENE” DUAL-DRIVE MODEL OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT: THEORETICAL CONSTRUCTION, MECHANISTIC INTERPRETATION, AND EMPIRICAL TESTING

Abstract

The purposes of this study are: 1) to construct a “motivator-hygiene” dual-drive model of student engagement; 2) to test the driving effects of the two factors using panel data; and 3) to provide theoretical and practical grounds for higher education institutions to optimize the participation ecosystem. This study employs official panel data collection and descriptive statistical analysis. It collects student engagement data from the 2019–2023 Quality Annual Reports of Guangxi vocational colleges, covering approximately 2.8896 million student-year observations across 49 colleges. Data analysis is conducted through descriptive statistics, trend fitting, and dual-factor driving effect analysis.The findings indicate that: 1) motivator and hygiene factors exhibit a progressive synergistic relationship, wherein hygiene factors constitute a necessary prerequisite for the effectiveness of motivator factors. Together, they catalyze a self-reinforcing cycle of “engagement → enhanced self‑efficacy/sense of belonging → deeper engagement,” thereby successfully constructing the dual‑drive model. 2) Empirical evidence from the Guangxi vocational college panel data shows that hygiene factors provide baseline support for engagement, while motivator factors significantly drive the quality improvement and upgrading of engagement, with a clear synergistic effect between the two. 3) Higher education institutions should prioritize consolidating the hygiene foundation before strengthening the motivational core, thereby transforming student engagement from externally driven to internally generated development.