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The complex interplay between students' perceived teacher support, self-esteem, and demotivation in English learning
Xiaoxue Li1, Xiaoxia Wei2, Honggang Liu1
1School of International Studies, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Acta Psychologica
|May 7, 2026
Summary
Teacher support, particularly emotional and instrumental, boosts self-esteem, significantly reducing demotivation in language learning. Academic support showed no significant impact on student self-esteem or motivation.
Area of Science:
- Educational Psychology
- Second Language Acquisition
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Demotivation negatively impacts language learning engagement and academic success.
- Understanding the factors influencing demotivation is crucial for effective pedagogy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between demotivation, self-esteem, and perceived English teacher support.
- To examine the mediating role of self-esteem in how teacher support influences demotivation.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative study with 628 senior high school students in northern China.
- Data collected via questionnaires on perceived English teacher support, self-esteem, and demotivation.
- Structural equation modeling used to analyze the relationships between variables.
Main Results:
- Emotional and instrumental teacher support indirectly reduced demotivation by enhancing self-esteem.
- Academic support did not significantly influence self-esteem or demotivation levels.
- Self-esteem acts as a significant mediator between specific types of teacher support and demotivation.
Conclusions:
- Emotional and instrumental teacher support are vital for improving student self-esteem.
- Fostering self-esteem through targeted teacher support can effectively mitigate demotivation in English language learning.
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