Examining perceived teacher support, enjoyment, boredom and achievement in Chinese EFL context: a multi-group path model analysis across genders and grade levels

The facilitative role of perceived teacher support (PTS) in promoting students’ academic achievement has been well established across diverse educational contexts. However, limited research has explored the emotional mechanisms underlying this association, particularly in the context of learning English as a foreign language (EFL). To address this gap, the present study examined the mediating effects of academic emotions on the relationship between PTS and EFL achievement among Chinese secondary school students. A total of 1,059 participants (535 seventh graders and 524 eighth graders) completed validated measures of PTS, enjoyment, boredom, and EFL achievement. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and mediation analyses. Results indicated that PTS exerted significant effects on students’ enjoyment, boredom, and EFL achievement after controlling for gender, age, and home educational resources. Moreover, both enjoyment and boredom fully mediated the relationship between PTS and EFL achievement. Multi-group SEM further demonstrated that the mediation model was invariant across grade levels. However, gender differences emerged, with a stronger negative association between PTS and boredom observed among female students compared with their male peers. Overall, the results extend current understanding of how teacher support influences emotional and academic outcomes, while also identifying key directions for future inquiry in EFL learning contexts.