March to April, 2023/XX University and XX Vocational College in China

The study's sample, drawn from XX University and XX Vocational College, consisted of 200 students—100 from each institution—to secure a broad representation. Comprising 75 males and 125 females, the sample was stratified by academic major and year of study, covering engineering, business, humanities, applied sciences, and varying stages of education. English proficiency was categorized into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels based on standardized test scores and self-assessments.Data was gathered through an online questionnaire survey, accessible from March to April 2023, coinciding with the academic schedule. Of the 200 surveys distributed, 168 were returned and considered valid, yielding an 84% recovery rate. This high response rate underscores the topic's resonance and adds credibility to the study's conclusions regarding the mediation of cognitive load in the self-efficacy-learning motivation relationship across proficiency tiers.