Purpose The link between academic self-efficacy and academic achievement and its potential mediation by learning engagement was investigated in college students in China. Methods The Chinese versions of the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, Academic Achievement Scale, and Learning Engagement Scale were administered to 1158 Chinese college students (544 men, 614 women; age [years]: M =19.37, SD =1.16, ranging from 17 to 30 years; college year: 641 freshmen, 302 sophomores, 197 juniors, 18 seniors). Results The results showed that, among Chinese college students, there were positive correlations between academic self-efficacy and both academic achievement and learning engagement, and between learning engagement and academic achievement. Additionally, a structural equation model demonstrated that learning engagement could mediate the association between academic self-efficacy and achievement. Conclusion Academic self-efficacy, learning engagement, and academic achievement were found to be significantly and positively associated in Chinese college students, with the association between self-efficacy and achievement observed to be significantly mediated by learning engagement, which mediates the link between self-efficacy and achievement. As the study was cross-sectional, causal inferences were difficult to determine; thus, longitudinal studies should be conducted in the future for further analysis of the causal relationships between these three variables. The present research results reveal the mechanism by which academic self-efficacy of college students impacts their academic achievement, expanding the research perspective of learning engagement, and can help guide the development of interventions to improve college students’ academic achievement.

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The key to cultivate innovative talents lies in teachers with an emphasis on teachers' guidance. Teachers should clarify their own professional role as "tutor", giving enough respect to the dominant position of their students and playing their guiding role to the students. In order to cultivate creative talents, teachers should respect the student-oriented objective, research on the students' course by teaching on the basis of students' interests; implement teaching method tailored to different characteristics of students and carry out research-based learning based on their questions. Teachers should play a guide role in an effective way in order to become supporters and guides for students' innovative learning.