ERIC Number: EJ1472640
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0141-8211
EISSN: EISSN-1465-3435
Available Date: 2025-04-22
Fueling the Cycle: Unpacking the Reciprocal Relationship between Social Support and Learning Engagement in Chinese EFL Classrooms
Tianxue Cui1,2; Ying Sun3
European Journal of Education, v60 n2 e70109 2025
This study adopted a three-wave random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to explore the longitudinal reciprocal relationships between social support and engagement in EFL learning among Chinese high school students. Two samples, including 3505 students (Sample 1 = 1794; Sample 2 = 1711), were tracked with their perceived social support and engagement levels in EFL learning over three academic semesters. Using a multiple-indicator RI-CLPM, the study demonstrated a reciprocal relationship between perceived social support and engagement in EFL learning maintained consistently across samples. Perceived social support in EFL learning positively predicted students' subsequent learning engagement. Meanwhile, students' engagement in EFL learning positively predicted their subsequent perceived social support. While prior cross-sectional research mostly showed how social support predicts student engagement, not the reverse prediction, the current study provides initial evidence for the possibly mutually reinforcing relationship over time.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Social Support Groups, High School Students, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning, Second Language Instruction, Student Attitudes, Learner Engagement, Longitudinal Studies, Correlation, Prediction
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1College of Public Administration and Humanities, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian, China; 2Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China; 3The National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia