Given the importance of student engagement for educational success, it is essential to explore how teachers can stimulate student engagement in online learning environment. However, relatively little research drawing from self-determination theory has examined the links between teaching motivations and student engagement. To this end, this study was conducted to survey 414 Chinese college students’ perceptions of teaching motivations, their own intrinsic and extrinsic motivations during the learning process, as well as their engagement with online learning. The findings indicated that the survey had satisfactory validity and internal consistency. Structural equation model revealed the interrelationships between autonomy-supportive teaching motivations, controlling teaching motivations, student intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, and student engagement. The results showed that in online learning environments, autonomy-supportive teaching motivations and student intrinsic motivation were positively related to student engagement. Unexpectedly, controlling teaching motivations and student extrinsic motivation had no significant effect on student engagement. Moreover, the mediating effects of student intrinsic motivation including perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness offered a deeper understanding of the association between autonomy-supportive teaching motivations and student engagement. The main findings and practical implications together are discussed in depth. Implications for practice or policy: Teachers could adopt autonomy-supportive teaching strategies and stimulate students’ intrinsic motivation as they have shown to be positive factors for student engagement. Developers and educators could enhance student engagement through nurturing inner motivational resources in online learning environment. Researchers could verify more factors that influence student engagement and clarify how they could be manipulated in future studies.

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Background and objectivesConcern exists regarding the potential negative consequences of smartphone addiction among adolescents. This study investigated the effect of use motivations and alexithymia on smartphone addiction among adolescents with two insecure attachment styles, namely, anxious and avoidant attachment. These attachment styles were regarded as mediating variables.MethodsSelf-report measures were used to assess use motivations, alexithymia, insecure attachment and smartphone addiction. Data were collected from 748 junior high school students (382 males and 366 females) in northeastern China. Structural equation modeling was used to test our hypothesis that use motivations and alexithymia are directly associated with smartphone addiction and also through the mediation of attachment insecurities.ResultsThe structural equation modeling results showed a strong and positive correlation between use motivation and smartphone addiction, with avoidant attachment mediating such a relationship. Meanwhile, the two components of alexithymia, difficulty identifying feelings and externally oriented thinking, positively predicted smartphone addiction, with avoidant attachment serving as a mediator of this effect. In addition, the mediation analysis results demonstrated that attachment anxiety mediated the connection between escape drive, extrinsically focused thought, and smartphone addiction.ConclusionFindings describe how attachment insecurities, smartphone use motivations, and alexithymia can interact with one another to predict smartphone addiction. Smartphone use motivation types and alexithymia symptoms should be taken into consideration when designing targeted intervention programs for smartphone addiction to address the different attachment needs of adolescents, which would be helpful to reduce their smartphone addiction behaviors.