Title: Examining the Relationship Between Teacher Emotional Support and Learning Engagement: The Mediating Role of Academic Resilience
Authors: Guohong Xu, Xiaoquan Pan
Volume: 10
Issue: 3
Pages: 38-47
Publication Date: 2026/03/28
Abstract:
This study investigated the mediating mechanism of academic resilience (AR) in the relationship between perceived teacher emotional support (TES) and learning engagement (LE) among English majors. Data from 262 Chinese undergraduate English majors were collected via validated questionnaires measuring TES, AR, and LE. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed two significant pathways: (1) a direct positive effect of TES on LE (? = 0.452, p < .001), and (2) an indirect effect through AR, accounting for 26.02% of the total effect (indirect ? = 0.159, 95% CI [0.113, 0.210]). Results confirm that teacher emotional support not only immediately enhances engagement but crucially cultivates students' capacity to overcome domain-specific adversities (e.g., linguistic anxiety, proficiency plateaus), thereby sustaining long-term investment in resource-intensive language acquisition. The findings establish AR as a critical psychological mechanism translating external emotional resources into resilient academic behaviors, offering empirical support for embedding resilience-focused pedagogy within tertiary English education to optimize instructional efficacy.