Exploring the effect of teacher autonomy support on Chinese EFL undergraduates' academic English speaking performance through the mediation of basic psychological needs and classroom engagement

Yanning Wang; Weihua Luo; Xian Liao; Pengfei Zhao

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1323713

Exploring the effect of teacher autonomy support on Chinese EFL undergraduates' academic English speaking performance through the mediation of basic psychological needs and classroom engagement

Front Psychol. 2024 Feb 20:15:1323713. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1323713. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Yanning Wang¹, Weihua Luo¹, Xian Liao², Pengfei Zhao²

Affiliations

¹ School of Foreign Languages, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, China.
² Department of Chinese Language Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong SAR, China.

Abstract

Introduction: The capacity to speak English for academic purposes is a pivotal facet of language education and assessment. Despite the substantial research approving the significant role of teachers in L2 learning, it remains unclear how exactly teachers' support for students' learning autonomy influences EFL learners' academic English speaking performance.

Methods: To address this primary concern, this study drew ground from the Self-System Model of Motivational Development (SSMMD) and adopted a mixed-method approach to examine teacher autonomy support's direct and indirect effects on Chinese EFL undergraduates' academic English speaking performance through the mediation of basic psychological needs and classroom engagement. 247 first-year university students participating in academic English speaking courses were recruited in this study.

Results and discussion: The quantitative results of the questionnaire indicated that students' perceived teacher support for autonomy directly predicted English speaking performance, and it also indirectly influenced students' speaking performance via the mediation of classroom engagement and basic psychological needs. Students' responses in the semi-structured interview further verified the positive effect of teacher autonomy support on academic English speaking development in the classroom. Pedagogical implications were also discussed based on the findings.

Keywords: Chinese EFL undergraduates; academic English speaking; basic psychological needs; classroom engagement; teacher autonomy support.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was funded by Dalian Maritime University—“A Study on the Design of Blended College English Tasks to Promote Classroom Engagement” (Project Number: XJG2022-93) and the High Education Program granted by Dalian Maritime University—“The construction of integrated curriculum for Academic English Studies in a Research-oriented World-class Maritime University”(Project Number: GJ2023Y05).