A Multilevel Examination of Perceived Teacher Autonomy Support and English Learning Engagement: The Mediating Role of Positive Academic Emotions and the Moderating Effect of School Level

This study examines how perceived teacher autonomy support relates to students’ English learning engagement in Chinese primary and middle schools, focusing on the mediating effect of positive academic emotions and the moderating effect of school level. A total of 454 students from 11 schools completed validated Chinese versions of the Learning Climate Questionnaire, the School Emotion Questionnaire, and the Learning Engagement Questionnaire. Two-level multilevel models estimated in R revealed a significant indirect pathway, whereby perceived autonomy support predicted higher positive academic emotions, which in turn fostered greater English learning engagement. Monte Carlo simulations further confirmed significant indirect effects at both school levels and highlighted a stronger mediating role of positive academic emotions among primary school students than among middle school students. The findings reveal a developmentally differentiated emotional pathway linking perceived teacher autonomy support with students’ English learning engagement. They highlight the importance of developmentally attuned instructional practices and outline directions for future longitudinal research on age-specific mechanisms of engagement.