Exploring the Interplay Between Mindfulness, Perceived Teacher Support, and Psychological Well-being Among EFL Learners: The Mediating Role of Student Engagement

In the demanding environment of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instruction, fostering student well-being has become a critical pedagogical objective. This study examined the predictive relationships between mindfulness, perceived teacher support, and psychological well-being, with a specific focus on the mediating role of student engagement. Adopting a quantitative, cross-sectional design, the researchers collected data from 342 intermediate-level EFL learners in Iran using validated self-report scales. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to test the hypothesized model. The results demonstrated that both mindfulness (β = 0.31, p < 0.001) and perceived teacher support (β = 0.39, p < 0.001) were significant positive predictors of student engagement. Furthermore, student engagement was found to significantly predict psychological well-being (β = 0.44, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis using bootstrapping confirmed that student engagement partially mediated the effects of mindfulness and teacher support on well-being. Overall, the structural model explained 41% of the variance in student engagement and 38% of the variance in psychological well-being. These findings underscore the importance of integrating internal psychological resources with interpersonal environmental supports to foster learner flourishing. The study concludes with practical implications for EFL practitioners, highlighting the need for mindfulness-integrated instruction and affective scaffolding to enhance learner engagement and holistic development.