Abstract
While social practice activities are crucial for enhancing the employability of college students, the specific pathways and mechanisms underlying their influence remain inadequately understood. Grounded in Astin’s theory of student involvement, this study aimed to investigate the impact of participation in social practice activities and associated learning experiences on college graduates’ employability and to examine the moderating role of professional interest in this relationship. A retrospective survey of 687 undergraduate graduates from four Chinese agricultural universities was conducted. The data were analyzed using moderated regression analysis to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings revealed that professional interest significantly moderates the relationship between social practice participation and employability. Specifically, the positive effect of participation on professional competence development is strengthened by higher professional interest levels. Moreover, a similar moderating effect was observed for general abilities but was significant only when professional interest was high. This study demonstrates that professional interest is a critical contingent factor that amplifies the benefits of social practice activities for employability development. The results highlight that the transformative potential of experiential learning is most fully realized when students possess a strong intrinsic interest in their field of study. This study contributes to the literature by extending Astin’s theory regarding the domain of employability and identifying key boundary conditions. Practically, these findings suggest that higher education institutions should prioritize fostering students’ professional interest and design more precise, differentiated support systems that integrate interest cultivation with experiential learning opportunities to maximize graduate employability outcomes.
Plain Language Summary
Keywords
Introduction
Owing to the advent of borderless career paths, frequent job changes and career transitions are becoming the norm (Michael, 2014), Personal employability, which refers to the ability to obtain a job, maintain employment, and achieve success in career development (Feng & Yue, 2025; Kenneth et al., 2012; Zeng, 2010), has become the core of individual’s career resilience and is becoming increasingly important for their career success (Gao, 2013). However, there is a gap between the employability of college graduates and the actual needs of employers (Gunder & Curtis, 2013; Wang et al., 2010), and students’ lack of employability has been criticized by employers (Denise & Nicholas, 2016; Nicholson & Wood, 2016). Universities are expected to bridge the “employability gap” increasing the employability of college students by implementing teaching and training model reforms, strengthening scientific research activities, and providing internships and specialized courses (Barry et al., 2009; Denise & Elaine, 2012; Reem & Paul, 2017). However, the combination of engineering and learning modes poses substantial challenges for teachers, as research activities require a vast deal of time and entail excessively high costs. Internships are significantly resource-constrained, and social practice activities require less investment to quickly improve student employability; consequently, these social practice activities have become important for improving college students’ employability (Anh et al., 2017; Asim et al., 2016).
Previous studies generally suggest a positive correlation between social practices and active employment, such as the employment rate and starting salary (Gunder & Curtis, 2013; Lau et al., 2014). However, the “black box” of this correlation has not yet been fully opened (Qiu & Yue, 2024). Recent studies have shown that more social practices can shape students’ more focused and exploratory information search strategies, thereby enhancing their “employment self-efficacy” (Adam & Dave, 2021).This finding reveals that social practice may play a role by influencing students’ cognitive processes and psychological capital, rather than just providing skill training. Jackson and Dean (2022) first proposed the concept of “employability-related activities” and systematically revealed significant differences in participation and benefits among student groups from different socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, and regions. This highlights a shift in research in this field from exploring whether it is effective to who, under what conditions, and through what mechanisms it is more effective.
Previous studies have focused either on broad skill enhancement(Sun, 2015) or on a single psychological variable, such as career anchoring(Arun et al., 2025), but lack an integrated theoretical framework to explain how activity participation is transformed into employability. In particular, the specific mediating role and boundary conditions of high-quality learning experiences such as reflection, integration, and interpersonal interaction in the practical process have not been fully tested (Zeng & Chen, 2022; Zeng & Huang, 2023).
This study aims to go beyond the simple participation output model to propose a moderated mediation effect model based on the integration of Astin’s participation theory and experiential learning theory. This study aims to empirically examine the mediating role of social practice learning experience in the relationship between participation experience and employment ability (divided into general ability and professional ability), with the aim of revealing the transformation mechanism from experience to ability; And introducing the moderating variable of professional interest, how to regulate the first half (participation experience→learning experience) and the second half (learning experience→ employability) of the above mediation path, responding to the core questions about who is more effective and under what conditions are activity benefits effective; By revealing the differences in the impact mechanisms under different combinations of conditions, a precise theoretical basis and data support are provided to design a more inclusive, targeted, and efficient social practice support system, helping to narrow the employment gap and promote educational equity.
Related Literature and Research Hypotheses
Astin’s participation theory suggests that students’ personal growth, such as cognitive and emotional development, is directly proportional to their engagement in campus experiences (e.g., academics, activities, and interactions with teachers and peers), particularly in terms of the quality and quantity of such engagement. The most effective way for students to engage is through peer interaction, which can enhance their learning experiences(Astin, 1993). As the most frequent and important type of activity used to promote students’ cognitive and emotional development, social practice activities are the foundation of college students’ motivation to learn and achievements (Hyeongyeong, 2025). Students improve and change their own personalities, knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors by investing time, energy, and experience and by interacting with their environment (Astin, 1993).Previous studies have shown that students who participate in social practice activities develop deeper knowledge, better communication skills, and stronger collaborative work skills (Özge et al., 2025), significantly improving their employability (Goteng et al., 2022; Pairan et al., 2018; Yang et al., 2025). This makes it easier for them to obtain their first job (Clarke et al., 2015), which has significant positive effects on their employment outcomes (Aksnes & Ulstein, 2024; Asim et al., 2016; Jennifer et al., 2025).
Employability is divided into general ability and professional competence (Xie, 2011). General abilities refer to fundamental psychological capabilities that can be demonstrated across various types of activities, primarily include a sense of responsibility, a spirit of teamwork, interpersonal skills, verbal skills, and other abilities that can be applied in any context (Qing, 2020; Xie, 2011; Wu & Shen, 2020). Social practice activities play an important role in improving students’ interpersonal skills (Kang et al., 2021; Moong-Lin et al., 2019). The strength of the four interpersonal skills of college students is significantly positively correlated with their participation in social practice activities (Karen & Hussain, 2016). Compared with students who did not participate in social practice activities, those who did rate their communication and expression abilities, creativity, and self-promotion abilities higher (Lau et al., 2014); exhibited stronger cognitive abilities and self-esteem (Catherine, 2018; Supakit et al., 2024); demonstrated a stronger sense of responsibility, teamwork, and willingness to help; had greater leadership awareness and greater flexibility (Catherine, 2018; Christine, 2024); and had stronger personal social skills and marketing abilities (Li et al., 2019; Rimm-Kaufman et al., 2021).
Therefore, Hypothesis 1 is proposed: College students’ participation in social practice activities positively predicts their general abilities.
Professional competence refers to the mastery of the professional knowledge and skills required to effectively accomplish complex tasks and solve problems through practical professional training on the basis of relevant objectives (Ree & Carretta, 2022). Such competence refers not only to the basic abilities necessary for college students’ employment but also those needed for their subsequent career development (Teng, 2011). Moderate participation in social practice activities significantly affects the development of academic self-identity (Florin & Horia, 2017; Wael & Ayman, 2017; Wendy & Helga, 2014), which contributes to academic success. Voluntary participation in social practice activities organized by schools can improve academic achievement, including exam scores, and lead to greater academic achievement (Jacquelynne et al., 2003; Soltani & Donald, 2024). Social practice activities improve professional competence and academic achievement (Goteng et al., 2022; Yang et al., 2017).
Therefore, Hypothesis 2 is proposed: College students’ participation in social practice activities positively predicts their professional competence.
Social practice activities refer to all activities that are beneficial to the physical and mental health of college students(Zeng & Huang, 2023). Engagement in social practice activities is divided into participation and learning (Sze & Chileung, 2021). As Astin’s (1993) participation theory proposes, students’ engagement in activities, interaction with peers, participation, and enhanced learning promote their cognitive and emotional development, drive their motivation to learn and achieve, and, consequently, improve their employability. Accordingly, students who participate in social practice activities develop practical experience and gain learning experience; increase their personal pride, self-esteem, and confidence; and improve their employability. Thus learning experience refers to the interactive process and outcomes between learners and the learning environment (Sokhanvar et al., 2021).This claim is based on students’ reactions to direct experience or participatory experience, which results in the formation of abilities and ideas. This process involves the classification, organization, and repetition of limited experience, thus forming new experiences, namely, learning experience (Kolb, 1984; Wichmand & Kolbaek, 2022; Singh, 2019). The ability of college students to obtain employment is based on their ability to participate in activities and gain learning experience. According to Xie (2011), employability can be divided into professional competencies and general abilities.
Accordingly, Hypothesis 3 is proposed: College students’ learning experiences gained through social practice activities mediate the relationship between participation in activities and professional competence and Hypothesis 4 is also proposed: College students’ social practice learning experiences mediate the relationship between participation and general ability.
Professional interests have an impact on employability. Students with strong professional interests have a stronger sense of purpose and belonging in their social practice activities and take the initiative in such activities(Feng & Yue, 2023). They are more effective at categorizing, summarizing, and organizing their activities, enabling them to gain learning experiences and transform those experiences into employability. Students with weak professional interests may participate in social practice activities only rarely or passively; they may also lack reflection and fail to improve as a result. They may remain at a lower level of participation, and rest more on the low-level stage of participation experience, making it difficult for them to advance to a higher level of learning, which does not significantly increase their employability. Accordingly, professional interests have a moderating effect on developing employability(Feng & Yue, 2023, 2025; Wu, 2019). Studies have shown that professional interests can positively affect the ability improvement and ability matching of college students(Feng & Yue, 2023); that is, when learning content is highly matched with personal interests, the learning process is more likely to be transformed into deep experience accumulation, thus improving personal ability.
Therefore, Hypothesis 5 is proposed: The mediated process through which the experience of participation affects professional competence through learning experience is moderated by professional interest. Hypothesis 6 is also proposed: The mediated process through which the experience of participation affects general abilities through learning experiences is moderated by professional interests.
The theoretical research framework is constructed as shown in Figure 1. college students accumulate experience through participating in social practice and gain learning experience through induction and sublimation. Learning experience is further refined and transformed into professional and general abilities, namely, employability, which indicate that learning experiences plays a mediating role in the relationship between participation and employability, a relationship that involves professional competencies and general abilities; furthermore, professional interests regulate the latter half of the path.
Research model.
Research Methods
Survey Subjects
A survey was developed on the basis of the literature (Chen et al., 2023; Feng & Yue, 2025; Kenneth et al., 2012; Song, 2008; Wang & Sun, 2018; Xie,2011; Zeng, 2010). Peer experts were consulted to modify the wording of the questions and the structure of the questionnaire. Before administering the formal questionnaire, small-scale testing was conducted to modify and delete ambiguous or repetitive items. Graduates from undergraduate programs at four agricultural universities were the survey subjects and were randomly selected according to the proportion of graduates in traditional majors at agricultural and forestry universities. Reliability and validity tests were conducted, and confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine the internal consistency of the scale, after which the formal questionnaire was finalized. In eastern China, Nanjing Agricultural University in Jiangsu Province was selected, in central China, Jiangxi Agricultural University in Jiangxi Province was selected, and in western China, Northwest A&F University in Shanxi Province and Qinghai University in Qinghai Province were selected, targeting undergraduate graduates who have been working for 0.5–3 years as survey subjects, covering 985, 211, and regular undergraduate institutions. The questionnaire was distributed proportionally in the class QQ group or WeChat group through class advisors in December 2021 and was completed and collected on the basis of individual willingness, covering traditional major classes of agricultural and forestry university graduates from the past three years who had already started working. A total of 926 formal questionnaires were sent out, 741 responses were collected, and 687 valid questionnaires were obtained after the exclusion of responses containing missed answers or repetitive responses. The questionnaire response rate was 74.2% (Table 1).
Distribution of the Sample.
Among the valid questionnaires, there were 401 male respondents (58.4%) and 286 female respondents (41.6%). Among them, 160 were minors (23.3%), 414 were from rural backgrounds (60.2%), and 257 had personal hobbies or skills (37.4%). Additionally, 445 respondents were enrolled in natural science majors (64.8%), which aligns with the current demographic characteristics of agricultural universities. The level of interest in their majors and the current family economic status generally followed a normal distribution (Table 1).
Research Tools
The formal questionnaire was scored on a five-point Likert scale and included five parts: basic personal information, experience with social practice activities, learning experiences, professional competence and general ability. The questionnaire included a total of 46 questions. Social practice experience provided the node data during university enrollment, whereas professional and general abilities provided the personal change data, which were used to evaluate the degree and magnitude of ability changes before and after social practice. Among the personal background variables, the major interest variable was selected, with seven items for extracurricular activity participation experience, including the number of participants, types of participation, roles in participation, duration of participation, level of engagement, degree of interaction in activities, and achievement of objectives. These questions included 7 social practice activity experience items with a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.770; 9 items for social practice activities with a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.808,composed of enhancing self-awareness, strengthening professional skills and general skills, improving personal emotional intelligence, strengthening social adaptation and promoting career development, as well as increasing personal self-esteem, confidence and self-efficacy; and 13 items regarding professional competencies with a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.725,including workplace image and behavior, professional awareness, professional knowledge and application—this is composed of the degree of socialization adapted to the professional background, stable behavior patterns and interpersonal processes manifested in the work process, individual professional image that conforms to the aesthetic of society and employers, understanding and compliance with workplace ethics and conduct, team professional collaboration, job seeking and self-promotion abilities, successful career records, career development awareness, understanding of the industry environment and development situation, clear personal career development plans, professional knowledge and background, problem-solving from a professional perspective, and professional skill level; and 16 items pertaining to general abilities including personal qualities, interpersonal skills, and scientific thinking skills, consisting of honesty and trustworthiness, sense of responsibility, diligence, hard work, openness, fairness, impartiality, independence, patience, listening, emotional expression ability, environmental adaptability, ability to correctly identify others, verbal and written expression, emotional regulation ability, conflict resolution, relationship coordination ability, logical thinking, comprehension ability, problem-solving ability, self-motivation, and stress tolerance, with a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.702. The overall Cronbach’s α coefficient for the questionnaire was 0.839, indicating that the scale is reliable.
Data Processing
This study aims to explore the mechanism underlying the impact of social practices on the employability of college students and to examine boundary conditions. The dependent variable of employment ability is a multivariate categorical variable; therefore, logistic regression is used as the basic analysis framework. Furthermore, to test the hypothesis that social participation experience affects employability through the mediating variable of social learning experience and that this process is moderated by the moderating variable of professional interest, we selected Model 4 and Model 14 from the PROCESS macro developed by Hayes (2018). This model can simultaneously estimate mediation and moderation effects and calculate the confidence interval of the conditional indirect effects through the bootstrap method to avoid distribution assumption limitations, directly testing the moderated mediation effect and generating indirect effect values of the moderating variable at different levels for ease of explanation; moreover, PROCESS can automatically call the logistic model, which is compatible with logistic regression, to ensure that the method matches the characteristics of the data and to systematically and robustly respond to the mechanism issues raised in this study.
Analysis of Common Method Bias
The collection of self-reported data collection may lead to common methodological biases. To minimize the potential for these biases, the survey was conducted anonymously, and reverse questions and different scoring methods were used. Statistically, the single-factor test method was used to conduct exploratory factor analysis on the variables involved, with a feature value greater than 1 before rotation was used as the judgment criterion. The explained variance in the maximum factor was 26.37%, which was less than 30%, indicating that there was no significant common method bias in this study.
Additionally, the variance expansion factor of all the prediction variables included in this study was not greater than 1.31, indicating that there was no multicollinearity.
Research Results
Correlation Analysis
A correlation analysis was conducted of professional interest, participation, learning experience, professional competence, and general ability. The results revealed significant negative correlations among professional interest and participation, learning experience, professional competence, and general ability. There were significant positive correlations between participation and learning experience, professional competence, and general ability. There were significant positive correlations between learning experience and professional competencies and general abilities. There was a significant positive correlation between professional competence and general ability (Table 2).
Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Coefficient Matrix of Each Variable.
N = 687; *p < 0. 05, **p < 0. 01.
Social Practice Participation Experience and Professional Competence: A Moderated Mediation Model Test
A t test was used to analyze the intergroup differences with respect to professional interest and professional competence. A significant difference in professional competence was found between the two groups, with t(47) = 5.459 (p < 0.001).
Process plugins Model 4 and Model 14 in SPSS 26.0 were used to test whether learning experience mediates the relationship between participation and professional competence and whether professional interest plays a moderating role in this relationship (Figure 1). According to Wen et al. (2004), if the model estimation meets the following three conditions, a moderated mesomeric effect is detected: a. in Equation 1, the total effect of participation on professional competence is significant; b. in Equation 2, the predictive effect of participation on learning experience is significant; and c. in Equation 3, the main effect of learning experience on professional competence is significant, and the effect of the interaction term of professional interest and learning experience is significant.
As shown in Table 3, in Equation 1, participation positively predicts professional competence, satisfying condition a and verifying Hypothesis 2. In Equation 2, participation positively predicts learning experience, thus satisfying condition b. In Equation 3, learning experience positively predicts professional competence, and the interaction between professional interest and learning experience is significant; thus, condition c is met. These results indicate that learning experience mediates the relationship between participation and professional competence, thereby confirming Hypothesis 3.
Regression Analysis of the Moderated Mediation Models.
p < 0.05. **p < 0.01. ***p < 0.001.
To test the indirect effect of students’ learning experiences with different levels of professional interest on their participation and professional competence, the SPSS 26.0 plug-in Process 3.5 model 14 was used for analysis. The results revealed that when students’ professional interest levels were low (M-1 SD), the indirect effect of participation experience and professional competence was 0.021, and the upper and lower limits of the 95% confidence interval of the mesomeric effect of learning experience included 0, indicating that no indirect effect occurred at this level. When students’ professional interest was at an average level (M), the indirect effect of participation experience and professional competence was 0.069, and the upper and lower limits of the 95% confidence interval of the mesomeric effect of learning experience did not contain 0, indicating an indirect effect at this level. When students’ professional interest was at a high level (M+1 SD), the indirect effect of participation and professional competence was 0.117, and the upper and lower limits of the 95% confidence interval of the mesomeric effect of learning experience did not contain 0, also indicating an indirect effect at this level as well (Table 4). Simple effect analysis thus revealed that when professional interest is low, learning experience does not predict professional competence (β = 0.04, SE = 0.05, t = 0.77, p = 0.44). However, when professional interests are at an average level, learning experience can predict professional competence (β = 0.13, SE = 0.04, t = 3.23, p = 0.013). Finally, when professional interest is high, learning experience also predicts professional competences (β = 0.23, SE = 0.05, t = 4.17, p = 0.000). The data in Figure 2 further validate the research conclusions and Hypothesis 5.
Indirect Effects of the Learning Experience Mediation Model Under Different Professional Interest Conditions.
The moderating effect of professional interests on the impact of learning experience on professional competencies.
Social Practice Participation Experience and General Abilities: A Moderated Mediation Model Test
A t test was used to analyze intergroup differences with respect to professional interest in general ability scores. A significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of general ability scores, with t(47) = 3.553 (p < 0.01).
Process plugins Model 4 and Model 14 in SPSS 26.0 were used to test whether learning experience mediates the relationship between participation experience and professional competence and whether professional interest plays a moderating role in this relationship (Figure 2). According to Wen et al. (2004), if the model estimation meets the following three conditions, a moderated mesomeric effect is detected: a. in Equation 1, the total effect of participation on general ability is significant; b. in Equation 2, the predictive effect of participation on learning experience is significant; and c. in Equation 3, learning experience has a significant main effect on general ability, and the interaction of professional interest and learning experience has a significant effect.
As shown in Table 5, in Equation 1, participation positively predicts general ability, thus satisfying condition a and supporting Hypothesis 1. In Equation 2, participation positively predicts learning experience, satisfying condition b. According to Equation 3, learning experience can predict general ability, and the interaction between professional interest and learning experience is significant, satisfying condition c. These results indicate that learning experience plays a mediating role in the relationship between the experience of participating in social activities and general ability, thereby confirming Hypothesis 4.
Regression Analysis of the Moderated Mediation Models.
p < 0.05. **p < 0.01. ***p < 0.001.
To test the indirect effect of students’ learning experiences with varying levels of professional interest levels on participation experience and general ability, SPSS 26.0 plug-in Process 3.5 model 14 was used for analysis. The results revealed that when students’ level of professional interest was low (M-1 SD), the indirect effect of participation and general ability was −0.071, and the upper and lower limits of the 95% confidence interval of the mesomeric effect of learning experience included 0, indicating that no indirect effect occurred at that level. When students’ professional interest was at an average level (M), the indirect effect of participation and general ability was 0.063, and the upper and lower limits of the 95% confidence interval of the mesomeric effect of learning experience included 0, indicating that there was no indirect effect at that level. When students’ professional interest was at a high level (M+1 SD), the indirect effect of participation experience and general ability was 0.196, and the upper and lower limits of the 95% confidence interval of the mesomeric effect of learning experience did not contain 0, indicating an indirect effect at this level (Table 6). Simple effect analysis thus revealed that when professional interest is low, learning experience does not predict general abilities (β = −0.14, SE = 0.15, t = −0.96, p = 0.33). When professional interests are at an average level, learning experience also does not predict general abilities (β = 0.12, SE = 0.11, t = 1.09, p = 0.28). However, when professional interests are high, learning experience predicts general abilities (β = 0.38, SE = 0.15, t = 2.60, p = 0.0094). The data in Figure 3 further validate the research conclusions and Hypothesis 6.
Indirect Effects of Learning Experience According to the Mediation Models Under Different Professional Interest Conditions.
Note. BootLLCI refers to the lower limit of the 95% interval for bootstrap sampling, and BootULCI refers to the upper limit of the 95% interval for bootstrap sampling.
Moderating effect of professional interests on the impact of learning experience on general abilities.
Discussion and Conclusion
This study reveals the relationship between social practice activities and the employability of college students, as well as the underlying mechanism from the perspective of participation theory. On the one hand, it clarifies the nature of the effect of participation in social practice activities in this context; that is, it affects employability through the mediating effect of learning experiences. On the other hand, it shows that the latter half of the mediating process that occurs “when the role is greater” is regulated by professional interests. Learning experience has a greater effect on the employability of college students with high levels of professional interest than on those with low levels of professional interest. This study revealed that: (1) the experience of participating in extracurricular activities has a significant positive predictive effect on the employability of college students; and that (2) extracurricular activity learning experience plays a mediating role between participation experience and employability. (3) The participation experience of college students in extracurricular activities is regulated by their professional interests, and the influence of learning experience on their professional and general abilities is influenced by their professional interests.
Direct Impact of Participating in Social Practice Activities on College Students’ Employability
In this study, a model was constructed to validate the direct impact of social practice activities on professional competence and general abilities. The research results confirm that moderate participation in social practice activities helps improve college students’ employability (Budzynski-Seymour et al., 2020; Chen, 2020; Luísa & Kena, 2019; Sokhanvar et al., 2021), and Hypotheses 1 and 2 of this study were validated. According to Astin’s (1993) participation theory, students’ active participation in various activities contributes to their personal development. The academic achievements and personal growth of students are closely related to their level of participation in campus activities, as well as their interaction with teachers, cooperation with peers, and the quality and level of engagement in social practice activities at school. Through communication and interaction with peers in such activities, students gain experience in participation, develop learning experiences, promote their cognitive and emotional development, enhance their learning motivation and achievement, and improve their employability (Supakit et al., 2024).In this study, there was a positive correlation between participation experience, learning experience, professional ability, and general ability, which further validated Astin’s participation theory.
In this study, social practice activities are divided into eight categories. Although they are generally beneficial for improving employability, the impact of different types of activities and investment quality on social practice participation varies. Academic and technological innovation and entrepreneurship activities, cultural and artistic activities, as well as social practice and volunteer service activities, are more conducive to improving students’ professional abilities and qualities. Club social work and social networking activities are more conducive to improving their general abilities, such as leadership roles and skills. Although recent studies agree that moderate practices are conducive to improving the employability of college students, they believe that there are obvious group differences; for example, the internship experience of graduates from “double high” colleges, urban registered residence registration and families in the eastern region has a more significant effect on their employability (Zhu et al., 2025). To grasp moderation in practice, whether it is too much or too little, in-depth research can be conducted on different types of activities, different roles and identities, different investment times, and different levels of investment. In addition, how the structured design of practical activities, such as whether there is guidance and reflection, affects the improvement of their employability is also worth further study.
Mediating Effect of Social Practice Learning Experiences and the Moderating Effect of Professional Interest
This study revealed that learning experience mediate the relationship between college students’ participation and their employability; that is, the experience of participation enhances college students' employabilities through learning experiences, confirming Astin’s participation theory and indicating that learning experience is also an important mediator of the development of employability, which verifies research Hypotheses 3 and 4.
In accordance with David Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning circle theory, experiential learning comprises concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active practice. The starting point for learning or the acquisition of knowledge is people’s “concrete experience,” which can be either direct or indirect. The direct experience of gaining perceptions through activities is known as participatory experience, which provides opportunities to acquire important skills that are often not taught in the classroom (Linda, 2009; Xu, 2020). Reflection on and abstraction of the concrete experience, the recollection, cleaning, integration, and sharing of the knowledge fragments associated with the experience process, and the classification, organization, and repetition of the “limited experience” are learning experiences. Learning experiences are thus an advanced stage of the participating experience that reflects and processes specific experiences and are directly related to emotions and attitudes (Jennifer, 2004; Shane et al., 2003; Skinner et al., 2008).
The professional competencies referred to in this study, such as “the degree of socialization that is suitable for the professional background, stable behavior and interpersonal processes in the work process, an individual professional image that conforms to social and employer aesthetics, and understanding and adhering to workplace ethics and ethics,” are directly related to emotions and attitudes. According to Zhang (2007), professional competencies emphasize the creation of knowledge, which depends on the activation of various knowledge elements. It is necessary to confirm different combinations and structures of knowledge elements is necessary (Zhang, 2007). Professional competencies require the reflection and abstraction of specific experiences as well as the classification and organization of the experience process, which is the result and embodiment of the learning experience. Therefore, learning experience mediates the relationship between the experience of participation and college students' professional competencies.
The results of this study reveal that learning experience is a key bridge connecting external activities and internal cognitive reconstruction. It is not only a reflection but also a process of meaning construction: students integrate scattered practical experiences into narratives and transferable self-efficacy and professional identity through learning experience. Self-awareness is the core of the development of future leaders, and learning experience includes self-reflection and self-awareness, which help cultivate internal general abilities such as emotional regulation and self-awareness. This study also provides evidence for research on the mediating path of learning experience (Christine, 2024). With the rise of artificial intelligence, virtual experiences have become popular. Owing to the stronger correlation between virtual learning and teaching, participation, applicability, and realism are also more prominent, and the mediating role of virtual experience in the relationship between virtual learning and employability has been verified (Andi et al., 2025). The impact of virtual learning experience on employability is a future research direction.
Regulatory Role of Professional Interests
Research has shown that the learning experiences from social practice activities of college students with high levels of professional interests have a greater impact on their professional competence and general abilities, verifying research Hypotheses 5 and 6. College students with a high level of professional interest have clear learning goals and motivation, and their commitment to professional learning is enthusiastic and focused. However, college students with low levels of professional interest lack interest in social practice activities, making it difficult for them to participate actively and wholeheartedly. According to Astin’s (1993) participation theory, students who invest a large amount of physiological and psychological energy in activities obtain substantial benefits, thereby leading college students with high levels of professional interest to gain more learning experience through social practice activities. Therefore, the effects on professional competence and general abilities are also greater.
College students with low professional interests may feel a contribution gap or insufficient sense of achievement in their academic studies (Song & Ding, 2018). Their participation in extracurricular activities may be driven more by internal self-exploration, ability verification, or value realization needs. This high-quality autonomous motivation or compensation motivation (Song & Ding, 2018) encourages them to actively reflect on and integrate their activity experiences, promote the generation of learning experiences, and connect these learning experiences more with future career possibilities, promoting the transformation of learning experiences into employment ability. Compared with simply participating on the basis of interests, it drives deeper reflection and learning (i.e., high-quality learning experiences), thereby resulting in more significant ability gains and promoting the transformation of learning experiences into employment ability. The influence of professional interest adjustment and learning experience on employability provides a better psychological explanation on the back end.
Recommendations
This study revealed that professional interest plays a negative moderating role in the relationship between social practice learning experience and employability, challenging the traditional notion that interest is the only driving force and revealing the diverse paths of student ability development. This discovery provides not only important theoretical innovation value but also precise and profound insights for higher education practices and policy-making.
Implementing Precise and Differentiated Development Guidance for College Students
The guidance for college students should shift toward precise interventions based on individual student characteristics such as professional interests.
For students with lower professional interests, it is necessary to help them consciously construct and lead a compensatory development path and guide them to recognize that social practice is a key alternative field for constructing abilities, which can systematically compensate for the sense of achievement, identity, and skill reserves that they may lack in the field of professional learning. The focus of guidance is to guide how to conduct structured and serialized experience reflection and integration.
For students with high professional interests, emphasis should be placed on promoting the deep integration and two-way empowerment of professional learning and social practice, guiding them to think about how to apply professional knowledge to practical projects to verify and innovate theories and how to bring back real and complex problems encountered in practice to the classroom, driving deeper professional learning. They should be encouraged to expand complementary high-level abilities such as leadership and cross-cultural communication through social practice on the basis of consolidating professional advantages and build complex competitiveness that is difficult to replicate.
Teachers and counsellors must transform from general event organizers or proposers into deep learning experience catalysts and development diagnosticians. This requires them to master the ability to identify students’ professional interest status and development needs and to use coaching techniques and reflective dialog tools to deeply intervene in students’ experience processing process, effectively promoting the qualitative change from a participation experience to a learning experience.
Construction of a Data-empowered and Fairness-oriented University Support System
Universities should use technological means and institutional innovation to be vigilant about the Matthew effect that may arise from the allocation of practical resources
An intelligent personal development support platform should be developed. Universities should develop an integrated digital portrait system for student growth. By legally and compliantly collecting and analyzing multidimensional data on students’ course learning, social practice, competition research, psychological assessment, etc., we can dynamically depict the individual development trajectory of students’ abilities, interest evolution patterns, and potential risks. Personalized resource recommendations, early warning and early interventions should be implemented, and support for students’ job search and further education should be provided.
An inclusive practice participation guarantee mechanism should be established. Studies have shown that social practices may replicate or even exacerbate educational inequality because of economic barriers, information gaps, and cultural capital differences (Bering & Henriette, 2025). Colleges and universities must consciously adopt the principle of compensatory justice in institutional design, such as establishing special funding funds, implementing positive differential treatment, and creating diversified and personalized social practice menus to ensure fair opportunities.
Promotion of Future-oriented Education Evaluation and Employment Market Integration Reform
Social evaluation system and talent recognition standards in the labor market:
Advocate for a multidimensional evaluation system on the basis of abilities. Reform the evaluation system of universities, shifting from an excessive focus on academic performance points to building a comprehensive evaluation framework that accommodates academic achievement, practical ability, social contributions, and personal growth.
The circulation of skill language in the labor market should be promoted. Universities should work closely with employers, industry associations, and public employment service departments to jointly develop industry-wide skill frameworks; guide college students and employers to use a unified skill language to describe job requirements and personal qualifications; and encourage companies to use competency-based assessments and structured interviews in recruitment to select candidates with outstanding social practice experience.
Limitations
This study has the following limitations. First, owing to sampling limitations, only 1–2 agricultural and forestry universities were selected in each of the eastern, central, and western regions of China. Although this covers different levels of universities, the effective sample size is 687. Future studies should expand the sample range to include different types of universities. Second, college students who participate in various types of social practice activities have a complex connotation of employability, which to some extent affects the research conclusions. Third, although graduates who have been working for 0.5–3 years were selected as survey subjects, the employability of college students and their experiences of participating in extracurricular activities and learning fade over time. This study is based on retrospective self-reports of college graduates, and the conclusions are influenced to some extent by subjective factors. However, establishing strict causal relationships between variables using cross-sectional questionnaire survey data is difficult, and future tracking studies can be adopted.
Footnotes
Ethical Considerations
When obtaining research information from research participants, this study informed them in advance and obtained their consent. The whole research process was in line with the Declaration of Helsinki. The subject of this study is a group survey questionnaire, without any identifiable information the privacy rights of the study participants are fully respected in the study. After the research results are publicly published, the research data can be freely accessed and shared by researchers and the public.
Fundings
The author discloses the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The Jiangxi Province Social Science Planning Project “Research on the Mechanism of the Effect of Technology Academy Practice on the Employability of College Students” (25JY08);The Research Reform Project on Degree and Graduate Education in Jiangxi Province “Evaluation and Optimization Pathways for Supporting Conditions of High-Quality Professional Degree Graduate Education” (YJSJG-2026-03-01);The Jiangxi Province Education Science Planning Special Project “Research on the Adjustment and Optimization Strategies of Major Settings in Graduate Education Disciplines” (2025ZX179); and The Research Project of the National Agricultural Education Commission: “Research on the Mechanism and Improvement Path of the Impact of Science and Technology Small School Practice on Graduate Employment Ability” (25-NYYB-06).
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are not openly available due to their containing information that could compromise the privacy of research participants.