Mediating role of academic self-efficacy and academic emotions in the relationship between teacher support and academic achievement

The relationship between teacher support and academic achievement

The concept of “teacher support,” as initially delineated by Trickett and Moos¹⁸, encompasses various forms of care, assistance, and encouragement that students perceive from their educators. This construct has been explored extensively by scholars globally, leading to a consensus that teacher support constitutes a multifaceted amalgam of emotional, instructional, and appraisal support^19,20. These dimensions are universally recognized as pivotal in fulfilling students’ basic needs throughout their educational journey. Despite nuanced variations in definitions across different studies, the essence of teacher support invariably centers on fostering an environment conducive to learning by addressing the emotional well-being of students, enhancing their sense of competence, and providing valuable information and feedback. “Academic achievement,” on the other hand, is characterized as the culmination of students’ learning endeavors, reflecting the breadth and depth of knowledge and skills amassed over time²¹. The Grade Point Average (GPA) stands as a universally endorsed metric for gauging academic achievement, offering a comprehensive assessment of students’ learning outcomes and the caliber of their academic performance²².

The phenomenon known as the Rosenthal effect posits that the quality of attention and the level of care and affection bestowed by teachers upon their students can significantly bolster the latter’s confidence and positivity. This, in turn, catalyzes a more focused and engaged approach to learning²³. Empirical evidence supports the assertion that teacher support behaviors exert a direct impact on students’ academic achievements. Studies, such as those conducted by Ouyang et al., have demonstrated that students who perceive high levels of teacher support tend to exhibit superior academic performance compared to their peers receiving less support. Similarly, research by Chen and Guo²⁴ has established a positive correlation between perceived teacher support behaviors and academic achievement, underscoring the potential of teacher support as a predictive factor of students’ academic success. Moreover, studies like those of Wentzel et al.²⁵ have shown that adolescents receiving affirmative support from teachers and peers are more likely to achieve enhanced academic and social outcomes. Further, Reyes et al.²⁶ have discovered that perceived teacher support plays a crucial role in amplifying student engagement and invigorating learning enthusiasm, which in turn facilitates academic achievement. In a recent study, Hoferichter et al.²⁷ also explored the direct impact of teacher support on students’ academic performance in their article titled “The Relationship Between Teacher and Peer Support, Student Stress, and Academic Achievement.”

These collective insights underscore the instrumental role of teacher support in bolstering academic achievement, suggesting its potential to exert a similarly positive influence on the academic performance of university students²⁸. Thus, based on the evidence presented and the theoretical underpinnings of the role of teacher support, this study posits the following hypothesis for further investigation:

H1

Teacher support is positively associated with academic achievement, implying that higher levels of perceived support from teachers are likely to result in enhanced academic outcomes among university students.

The relationship between teacher support, academic self-efficacy, and academic achievement

The construct of “self-efficacy,” first introduced by psychologist Albert Bandura in 1977, encapsulates an individual’s belief in their capacity to execute actions necessary to achieve specific performance levels²⁹. Bandura’s conceptualization of self-efficacy was subsequently expanded into the educational realm as “academic self-efficacy,” which denotes students’ beliefs in their ability to mobilize the knowledge and skills they have acquired to successfully complete academic tasks.

In the context of education, teacher support is widely recognized as a pivotal element that significantly impacts students’ academic outcomes. Beyond this, academic self-efficacy stands as a critical facet of the learning ecosystem, serving as an essential bridge linking teacher support with academic achievement^30,31. The teacher expectation theory posits that educators develop varying expectations for students based on perceived student attributes, which subsequently shape their interactions with and attitudes toward these students. These teacher behaviors, in turn, influence students’ perceptions and initiate internal psychological transformations that bear on their academic success³². Given Bandura’s assertion that self-efficacy is inherently a subjective perception, it can thus be regarded as an internal psychological attribute that plays a crucial role in academic contexts²⁹.

Social cognitive theory further elucidates the dynamic interplay between teacher-student interactions and student outcomes. Marzano³³ argues that positive relational dynamics between teachers and students bolster students’ self-efficacy beliefs, which in turn, enhance academic performance. The implication here is that the extent of support rendered by teachers is directly proportional to the likelihood of fostering positive teacher-student relationships, which enhances students’ academic self-efficacy and, consequently, their academic achievement³⁴. Empirical studies by Beghetto³⁵ and Kang and Liew³⁶ corroborate this theoretical framework, demonstrating a positive correlation between perceived teacher support, elevated academic self-efficacy, and improved academic outcomes. In light of these considerations, the current investigation posits the following hypothesis for further exploration:

H2

Academic self-efficacy functions as a mediating variable in the relationship between teacher support and academic achievement, suggesting that teacher support enhances academic self-efficacy, which in turn positively influences academic achievement.

The relationship between teacher support, academic emotions, and academic achievement

Introduced by Pekrun et al.³⁷, the concept of “academic emotions” encompasses the spectrum of emotional experiences directly linked to academic successes or failures within the educational setting. This definition was later broadened by Chinese scholars Yu and Dong³⁸, who posited that academic emotions extend beyond reactions to academic outcomes to encompass the diverse emotional experiences encountered during learning-related activities, such as homework completion, class participation, or examination processes.

Drawing from ecological systems theory, which postulates that environmental influences typically manifest through individual internal variables, teacher support is conceptualized as an external environmental factor, whereas academic emotions are regarded as internal psychological states. Hence, the pathway from teacher support to academic achievement is potentially mediated by academic emotions, aligning with Bronfenbrenner’s³⁹ theoretical framework. Furthermore, basic psychological needs theory articulates that the fulfillment of individuals’ needs for autonomy, belonging, and competence fosters a conducive adaptation to social contexts⁴⁰. Within the educational milieu, the provision of teacher support plays a critical role in meeting students’ fundamental psychological needs, which, when satisfied, engender a conducive learning environment⁴¹. Teacher support can be delineated into three distinct categories—autonomy support, emotional support, and competence support—each of which, when perceived by students, can invigorate their learning interest, enhance their sense of ability, and bolster their efforts. This, in turn, cultivates positive academic emotions in the face of academic endeavors, facilitating the adoption of effective learning strategies and, ultimately, fostering academic achievement⁴².

Pekrun⁴³ emphasized the profound impact of significant others’ (e.g., teachers) expectations and support on students’ academic performance and, correspondingly, on their academic emotions. The perception of teacher attention and expectations fosters positive learning emotions and attitudes, thereby kindling learning motivation and improving academic outcomes. This perspective has been corroborated by subsequent studies, including those by Zhang¹⁴, Cao⁴² and Hughes et al.⁴⁴, which have demonstrated that academic emotions serve as a mediating factor in the relationship between perceived teacher support and academic achievement. Based on these insights, the current investigation advances the following hypothesis:

H3

Academic emotions act as a mediating variable between teacher support and academic achievement, indicating that teacher support positively influences academic emotions, which in turn contribute to enhanced academic achievement.

The relationship between teacher support, academic self-efficacy, academic emotions, and academic achievement

Pekrun’s⁴³ integration of social cognitive theory and cognitive motivation theory into the control-value theory of academic emotions offers a comprehensive framework for understanding the interplay between students’ perceptions of their external environment, their academic emotions, and the ensuing impact on the learning process. This theory elucidates how task characteristics, environmental factors, and evaluative judgments collectively shape students’ academic emotions and, subsequently, their learning outcomes. Specifically, the control-value theory posits that students’ assessments of the importance of a task, coupled with their belief in their ability to accomplish it, bolster their academic self-efficacy. This elevated sense of self-efficacy fosters positive academic emotions, which in turn ignite learning motivation and enhance academic achievement⁴². Accordingly, this theoretical construct underpins the hypothesis that teacher support positively impacts academic achievement via the sequential mediation of academic self-efficacy and academic emotions.

Further, Brophy and Good³² delineated the mechanism of the teacher expectation effect as a sequence that commences with student characteristics, which shape teacher expectations, subsequently influencing teacher behavior. This behavior, in turn, informs student perceptions, which impact their emotions and, ultimately, their academic achievement. This model suggests that teachers process and interpret information about students, forming expectations that are conveyed through their behavior. Students perceive these expectations, which influences their self-perception and emotional response, aligning their efforts with the direction of the anticipated outcomes, thereby affecting their academic achievement⁴⁵. Bandura’s²⁹ elaboration on the notion of “expectations” introduces the concept of efficacy expectations, emphasizing the individual’s belief in their capacity to execute behaviors necessary to produce desired outcomes. Thus, self-expectations serve as a form of self-efficacy expectation, implying that heightened self-efficacy expectations for future performance motivate individuals to improve their capabilities, thereby enhancing their academic self-efficacy.

This theoretical exploration provides a solid foundation for positing that teacher support can bolster academic self-efficacy, which, in turn, influences academic emotions and academic achievement. Therefore, this study introduces the following hypothesis for examination:

H4

Teacher support influences academic achievement through the chain mediating effect of academic self-efficacy and academic emotions.

In alignment with these theoretical insights, the present study proposes a chain mediation model (refer to Fig. 1) designed to scrutinize the relationships among teacher support, academic self-efficacy, academic emotions, and academic achievement. This model aims to furnish empirical evidence and theoretical rationales for the proposition that enhancing teacher support can significantly elevate academic achievement through the synergistic interplay of academic self-efficacy and academic emotions.