Manuscript received May 14, 2026; accepted June 16, 2026; published June 18, 2026.

Abstract—This study investigated 131 English Education majors at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, using the Classroom Engagement Scale, Normal Students’ Professional Identity Scale, and Subjective Employment Barriers Questionnaire. SPSS 27.0 was employed for descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and mediation effect testing to explore the relationships among perceived employment barriers, professional recognition, and classroom engagement, as well as the mediating role of professional recognition. The results indicate that: (1) English Education majors’ classroom engagement (M = 4.04, 5-point scale) and professional recognition (M = 3.66, 5-point scale) are both above the moderate level, while perceived employment barriers (M = 2.42, 4-point scale) are below the moderate level; (2) Classroom engagement shows a significant positive correlation with professional recognition (r = 0.656, p < .001), but the correlations between perceived employment barriers and classroom engagement (r = −0.088, p = .316), and between perceived employment barriers and professional recognition (r = −0.057, p = .519) are not significant; (3) Mediation analysis reveals that the indirect effect of professional recognition in the relationship between perceived employment barriers and classroom engagement is −0.0244, with a Bootstrap confidence interval of [−0.1035, 0.0714] containing 0, indicating no significant mediation effect. The predictive effect of perceived employment barriers on professional recognition is not significant (β = −0.0190, p = .519), leading to a breaking of the mediation chain. The study finds that among English Education majors—a group with clear career orientation—students’ stable professional identity remains unshaken by perceptions of employment barriers, and employment barriers do not directly weaken classroom engagement. This provides a new perspective for understanding the learning motivation mechanism of specific professional groups and offers empirical evidence for teaching management and career guidance in university English education programs.