Unpacking Chinese EFL Students’ Academic Engagement and Psychological Well-Being: The Roles of Language Teachers’ Affective Scaffolding

IntroductionMindfulness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation play vital roles in shaping the psychological well-being of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners. This study investigates the interconnections among these constructs and their implications for the psychological well-being of 527 Chinese EFL learners.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among Chinese EFL learners enrolled in a university in China. Participants were recruited through a non-probability convenience sampling method from English language courses. They completed validated self-report questionnaires assessing mindfulness, self-efficacy, self-regulation, and psychological well-being. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and mediation analysis were employed to explore the relationships among these constructs.ResultsThe study found that mindfulness and self-efficacy independently and directly predicted psychological well-being among Chinese EFL learners. Additionally, self-regulation emerged as a significant mediator in the relationship between mindfulness and psychological well-being, suggesting that mindfulness enhances well-being indirectly through improved self-regulation skills.DiscussionThese findings underscore the critical roles of mindfulness practices, self-efficacy beliefs, and self-regulation skills in promoting psychological well-being among EFL learners. The implications of this study extend to mindfulness-based interventions and programs designed. However, the study’s cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and the use of self-report measures may introduce biases. Moreover, the sample’s limited diversity and homogeneous demographic profile, attributed to the convenience sampling from a single university, may constrain the generalizability of the findings. Future research could adopt longitudinal designs and diverse participant samples to further elucidate these relationships and enhance the robustness of the findings.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mindfulness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation as predictors of psychological well-being in EFL learners

Fan,

Cui

2024

“…In another study, Kilgo et al (2016) provided significant evidence that student engagement had an influential role in affecting the wellbeing among students. Pan et al (2023) also unveiled that there was a positive association between student engagement and student psychological wellbeing.…”

Section: Review Of the Literaturementioning

confidence: 98%

“…As Han (2021) indicated, university students’ wellbeing has significant advantages in the context of higher education in terms of enhancing learners’ ambitions, educational participation, academic achievement, and academic productivity. Regarding university students, psychological wellbeing can play a critical role in the learning process ( Burris et al, 2009 ; Pan et al, 2023 ). Indeed, the wellbeing of students is linked to learners’ higher levels of educational achievement, determination, and enjoyment and lower levels of stress, as it can facilitate their confidence and resilience while learning ( Morales-Rodríguez et al, 2020 ; Ngui and Lay, 2020 ; Yang, 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological wellbeing in Chinese university students: insights into the influences of academic self-concept, teacher support, and student engagement

Zhang

2024

ObjectiveThis study investigates the complex interplay between academic self-concept, teacher support, student engagement, and psychological wellbeing among Chinese university students. We aimed to elucidate the mediating role of student engagement in these relationships.MethodsA sample of 597 Chinese undergraduate students from diverse universities participated in the study. We employed structured questionnaires to assess academic self-concept, teacher support, student engagement, and psychological wellbeing. Confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling were used to test our hypothesized model.ResultsStructural equation modeling indicated that the partial mediation model, which considered both direct and indirect effects, outperformed full mediation and direct effect models. Student engagement significantly mediated the relationships between academic self-concept, teacher support, and psychological wellbeing. Importantly, teacher support demonstrated a direct impact on psychological wellbeing, even when accounting for the mediating role of student engagement.ConclusionThis study underscores the pivotal role of student engagement as a mediator in the relationship between academic self-concept, teacher support, and psychological wellbeing among Chinese university students. While student engagement plays a substantial mediating role, our findings also recognize the persistent direct influence of teacher support on psychological wellbeing. These insights have implications for educators and policymakers aiming to enhance the wellbeing of university students by fostering positive academic self-concept and teacher support while recognizing the importance of student engagement.

“…This findings revealed that control group teachers with lower wellbeing would exhibit lower quality classroom organization, which was not observed for teachers in the intervention condition. Around this time, Pan et al ( 2023 ) explored the impact of Chinese EFL teachers' affective scaffolding on the academic engagement and psychological wellbeing of 1,968 learners. They observed a positive correlation between psychological wellbeing and academic engagement.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potentials of arts education initiatives for promoting emotional wellbeing of Chinese university students

Guo

2024

The present study explores the intricate dynamics influencing the self-efficacy of Chinese university students through the interplay of participation in artistic activities, positive psychological capital, and emotional intelligence. In the context of technological advancements and various challenges post pandemic, this study delves into the multifaceted aspects of university life, where arts education plays a pivotal role in addressing students' emotional needs. By integrating emotional intelligence with self-efficacy, this study underscores the positive impact of artistic engagement on self-efficacy, while emphasizing on the transformative power of these pursuits. Also, this study establishes that the optimism and resilience contribute to this relationship by considering the mediating role of positive psychological capital. The moderating influence of emotional intelligence in the complex dynamics between arts education and positive psychological capital is another concern, thereby emphasizing the nuanced role of emotional intelligence. With a structured set of questions that were administered to 673 participants with 93.61% recovery rate, this study performs the Cronbach's α-test, validation factor, and several related tests in SPSSStatistics 29.0, bootstrap, and AMOS 25.0 software. Current results shows the importance of a holistic approach in Chinese institutions. With a focus on promoting artistic engagement to enhance students' self-efficacy, this study determines the profound impact of arts education on students' overall wellbeing and educational experience. In conclusion, this research highlights the constructive impact of artistic engagement on the self-efficacy of Chinese university students. Chinese institutions should encourage a varied range of artistic engagements as a response to the contemporary challenges confronted by their students.