The United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development underscores the significance of high-quality education and equitable learning opportunities. As a critical component of educational practice, teachers' professional competency development profoundly influences educational quality. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and Career Motivation Theory, this study explores the sustainable development of Chinese vocational undergraduate faculty’s professional competencies, focusing on the interactive effects of socio-psychological factors (e.g., motivation, cognition, group dynamics) and environmental factors (e.g., organizational support, resource availability) on career development. Employing a mixed-methods approach, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 267 vocational undergraduate teachers, supplemented by in-depth interviews with 21 faculty members. The findings revealed an average professional competency score of 3.81, indicating a moderately high level, with development influenced by both organizational environmental factors (perceived resource accessibility, institutional trust) and socio-psychological factors (self-efficacy, career identity, achievement motivation, group dynamics, research engagement, and experiential learning). Recommendations include enhancing achievement motivation, fostering organizational equity, and strengthening institutional trust to promote the sustainable development of teachers' professional competencies. © 2025 by author(s).
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