AIGC affordance and student self-regulation in private undergraduate education: a serial mediation model of self-efficacy and learning motivation.

INTRODUCTION: While AIGC tools are reshaping student learning, the psychological mechanisms through which AIGC affordance translates into adaptive learning behaviors remain underexplored. Grounded in Affordance-Actualization Theory and self-regulation theory, this study examines how AIGC affordance activates self-regulated learning (SRL) through the serial mediation of self-efficacy and motivation, contextualized within industry-education integration (IEI) programs in Guangzhou Private Undergraduate. METHODS: A pragmatic mixed-methods design integrated quantitative surveys (N = 689) with qualitative interviews (N = 8 instructors). PLS-SEM tested the hypothesized psychological pathways; thematic analysis elucidated implementation boundary conditions. RESULTS: The results demonstrate that perceived AIGC affordance significantly enhances students' AIGC self-efficacy, which in turn boosts their learning motivation and ultimately strengthens their self-regulated learning (SRL) capabilities. While the quality of AIGC assessment feedback is a strong predictor of student satisfaction, it does not directly improve SRL; its influence is channeled primarily through motivation. Complementing these findings, interview data uncovered persistent gaps in IEI implementation, including curriculum-industry misalignment, limited project diversity, and weak enterprise engagement, which contextualize the quantitative model. DISCUSSION: By integrating SRL theory with the IEI framework, this study reveals that AIGC's primary value lies not merely as a functional productivity tool but as a psychological catalyst. It fosters adaptive learning by building students' confidence and motivational drive. The non-significant direct path from feedback quality to self-efficacy and from satisfaction to SRL suggests that positive experience alone is insufficient for deep learning; the activation of motivational and self-efficacy mechanisms is crucial. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that the successful integration of AIGC in IEI requires a dual focus: strategically addressing systemic implementation gaps at the program level, and pedagogically designing AIGC activities that explicitly target the enhancement of self-efficacy and motivation to promote self-regulation.