The Mediating Role of Learning Management Systems in the Relationship between Student Engagement, Peer Learning, Teaching Methods, Classroom Management, and Online Education in Chinese Private Universities

Against the backdrop of increasingly diverse teaching environments and increasingly complex organizational structures in Chinese private universities, learning management systems have emerged as a critical institutional bridge between instructional input and learning outcomes, with their mediating role becoming increasingly prominent. Drawing on the theoretical perspective of structural equation modeling, this study systematically explores the mediating pathways of learning management systems in the relationships among teaching methods, classroom management, student engagement, peer learning, and online education, and constructs an operational framework across three dimensions: institutional structure, functional logic, and behavioral mechanism. The findings indicate that learning management systems, through regulatory guidance and feedback loops, improve the quality of student engagement and enhance instructional interaction, demonstrating organizational flexibility and regulatory capacity, particularly in online education contexts. Their mediating role is reflected in the structural embedding of behavioral pathways and the mechanism-based amplification of interactive relationships, thereby establishing a systemic connection between instructional organization and learning behavior. This study contributes to a deeper theoretical understanding of learning management systems and provides practical insights for educational governance and institutional optimization in private universities.