Teacher Support, Academic Buoyancy, Engagement, and English Academic Achievement: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

ABSTRACT Along with the evolution of positive psychology in second language (L2) education, increasing attention has been directed toward the role of non‐cognitive factors in facilitating language development. Although teacher support has been identified as a crucial external resource, the psychological mechanisms through which it influences English academic achievement, particularly the interplay with learners’ internal states, remain under‐explored in English‐as‐a‐Foreign‐Language (EFL) learning contexts. Among the first attempts to test a moderated mediation model involving these constructs in the Chinese university EFL setting, this study investigates the psychological pathways linking teacher support to academic achievement in EFL learning contexts, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of classroom engagement and the moderating effect of academic buoyancy among Chinese non‐English majors. Data from 462 EFL university students were analyzed. The hypothesized model was tested via structural equation modeling using AMOS and the PROCESS macro. The findings suggested that classroom engagement fully mediated the association between perceived teacher support and English academic achievement. Additionally, the link between teacher support and classroom engagement was found to be moderated by academic buoyancy, with the mediation effect strengthening at higher levels of academic buoyancy. This study theoretically extends previous psychological measurements and provides notable pedagogical implications for Chinese EFL educators to achieve better teaching outcomes.