<![CDATA[Purpose – Indonesian universities expanded digital learning platforms after 2020, yet many undergraduates still fail to convert that access into consistent, self-managed study behavior. Prior research disagrees on whether digitalization improves student-level outcomes, leaving unresolved whether learning innovation and digital transformation actually improve student quality directly, or only through self-directed learning. This study tests seven hypothesized paths linking learning innovation and digital transformation to student quality, directly and through self-directed learning as a mediator, grounded in Self-Determination Theory. Design/methodology/approach – A positivist, cross-sectional survey of 312 undergraduate students at a private university in Surabaya, Indonesia, following an 85-respondent pilot test, analyzed with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling in SmartPLS 4, supported by Confirmatory Tetrad Analysis, a Cross-Validated Predictive Ability Test, and a full collinearity assessment. Findings – The measurement model showed strong reliability and validity, and the structural model explained a substantial share of variance in student quality. Learning innovation and digital transformation both significantly raised student quality directly, and learning innovation significantly raised self-directed learning, which in turn significantly raised student quality and significantly mediated the learning-innovation-to-quality relationship. Digital transformation, however, showed no significant relationship with self-directed learning, so self-directed learning did not mediate the digital-transformation-to-quality relationship. Originality/Value – The findings show learning innovation and digital transformation reach student quality through two distinct routes rather than one shared mechanism, extending Self-Determination Theory into a digitally mediated higher education setting and clarifying that pedagogical innovation, not digital access alone, is the stronger lever for building student autonomy.]]>
