Exploring the interplay of parental support, achievement emotions, and foreign language engagement: An analysis of mediation

Abstract

This research explores the emotional bond between parental support (PS) and student engagement in learning English as a foreign language (EFL). To investigate the relationship between EFL learners’ perceptions of PS, EFL-related achievement emotions (specifically, enjoyment and boredom), and EFL engagement, this study was conducted based on data drawn from 527 students from grades 7 and 8 in China, comprising 280 boys and 247 girls. Besides, the moderating effect of age and prior EFL achievement on the proposed relationship was also examined. Upon adjusting for age and previous performance, structural equation modelling (SEM) and mediation analysis findings indicate a positive correlation between PS and their engagement in learning English. Also, it was found that EFL-related enjoyment and boredom mediated the linkage between PS and engagement. Furthermore, multi-group analyses were conducted to examine the invariance of the mediation model across gender and grade levels. The model (PS → achievement emotions → learning engagement) was invariant across gender and grade levels, showing that the study model applied to both male and female seventh and eighth graders. These findings illuminate the emotional relationship between parental support and their children’s EFL engagement. This study expanded the literature on EFL engagement by examining how age and grades impact the network of relationships among student-perceived parental support, emotion and EFL engagement.