Unpacking the Pathway from Teacher Support to Academic Anxiety: Sequential Mediation by Self-Efficacy and Social Media use Among Chinese High School Students

This study investigated the associations between perceived teacher support and academic anxiety among Chinese high school students, examining academic self-efficacy and social media use as potential mediating variables. Data were collected from 3,326 students (aged 14-19) across three regions in China using validated self-report measures. Path analysis identified three key relationships: (1) a negative association between perceived teacher support and academic anxiety; (2) academic self-efficacy and social media use as individual mediators in this relationship; and (3) these factors as sequential mediators in a chain pathway linking perceived teacher support with academic anxiety. These findings underscore the significant statistical association between teacher-student relationships and academic anxiety, and further illuminate the broader correlational dynamics among external support, psychological beliefs, digital behaviors, and emotional states. This research provides preliminary evidence with important implications for addressing academic anxiety in competitive educational environments.