Teachers matter: Exploring the impact of perceived teacher affective support and teacher enjoyment on L2 learner grit and burnout

Academic burnout has become a concerning issue affecting learning outcomes. However, this concept remains underexplored in instructed second language acquisition despite the high prevalence of it in this field. Extant literature mainly focused on individual factors as antecedents of L2 burnout, but we know little about how teacher variables influence L2 learners' burnout and the mechanism in between. The present study recruited 1294 (M = 557; F = 737) Chinese learners of English and measured their perceived teacher affective support, perceived teacher enjoyment, L2 grit and burnout. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the validity of scales used in the Chinese EFL context. Correlational results indicated that perceived teacher affective support and enjoyment were both positively correlated with learners' L2 learners' grit but negatively correlated with L2 learners' burnout. Structural equation modelling (SEM) indicated that L2 learners' grit mediated the relationship between perceived teacher affective support and L2 learners' burnout but not between perceived teacher enjoyment and L2 learners’ burnout. The mediation path still held with L2 proficiency and grade controlled for. Theoretical pedagogical implications are discussed.