The Impact of Psychological Capital on EFL Students' Engagement in Artificial Intelligence‐Supported Learning Environments: The Mediator Role of Emotion Regulation

ABSTRACT Learners' engagement is crucial in educational achievement, especially in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning, in which psychological sources and motivation are vital. Within the changing perspective of online teaching, maintaining students' engagement in AI‐supported settings offers mental difficulties and opportunities. Based on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and Positive Psychology (PP), the present research examines the effect of Psychological Capital (PsyCap) for predicting EFL students' engagement indirectly and directly by the mediating effect of ER. To this end, 328 college learners in China who had registered in AI‐supported EFL classes participated in the research. Data collection was done through valid self‐report tools and analysed utilising structural equation modelling to unravel the particular and general contributions of PsyCap and ER to students' engagement. The results revealed that both PsyCap and ER emerged as significant predictors of engagement, with ER being the strongest general predictor, uniquely accounting for 10.9% of the variance in engagement scores. Collectively, the general and specific factors explained 52.9% of the variance in engagement, underscoring the substantial role of psychological resources and ER in fostering students' engagement in AI‐supported EFL contexts. Moreover, a significant part of the relationship between PsyCap and engagement is shared by ER. The study offers theoretical contributions to the understanding of PsyCap within AI‐enhanced education and provides practical implications for designing interventions that support learner well‐being and motivation in digitally mediated EFL classrooms.