Perceived teacher–student rapport and academic engagement in Chinese EFL learners: The mediating role of language learning anxiety

Although prior research has examined links between classroom context variables and student outcomes, further inquiry is needed to elucidate the complex and dynamic interplay between classroom relational processes and learners' emotional experiences and academic functioning. In line with this gap, this study examined the relationships among teacher-student rapport (TSR), academic engagement, and learning anxiety among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students in China. It also investigated the mediating role of anxiety in the rapport-engagement link. Using a mixed-method explanatory design, 308 undergraduate EFL learners were recruited through convenience sampling and completed validated self-report questionnaires. To complement and enrich these findings, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 learners and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results from structural equation modeling in AMOS revealed that TSR positively predicted engagement while negatively predicting anxiety. Anxiety, in turn, was inversely related to engagement and functioned as a mediator in the TSR-engagement relationship. Qualitative findings supported these results, offering nuanced accounts of how rapport reduced anxiety and encouraged greater participation. The study concludes by outlining key theoretical and pedagogical implications and directions for future research.