Modeling the relationships among student-perceived teacher support, academic buoyancy, and L2 engagement: a mixed-methods approach

Introduction: The present study aims at investigating the relationship between student-perceived teacher support and their L2 engagement through the mediating role of academic buoyancy in EFL contexts. Methods: In doing so, a group of 415 Chinese EFL learners were recruited to complete three closed-ended questionnaires, assessing the levels of teacher support, academic buoyancy and L2 engagement. Besides, 48 students were invited to respond to an open-ended questionnaire to triangulate the quantitative findings and gain a nuanced understanding of the interrelationships among these constructs. Results: Correlation analysis indicated that student-perceived teacher support, academic buoyancy and L2 engagement were positively and significantly correlated with each other. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated a significantly positive relationship between EFL learners' perceptions of teacher support and L2 engagement. In addition, academic buoyancy partially mediated the relationship between teacher support and L2 engagement. The qualitative data have triangulated the quantitative findings and corroborated the impact of student-perceived teacher support on enhancing EFL learners' academic buoyancy and L2 engagement. Discussion: This paper has confirmed the essential role of teacher support in developing EFL learners' ability to cope with setbacks and pressures as well as enhancing their involvement in the ordinary course of English learning.