Reciprocal Effects of Teacher Autonomy Support and Student Academic Engagement in Blended Synchronous Learning Environment: A Two-Wave Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Previous research has clearly shown that teacher autonomy support is positively related to student academic engagement. However, most studies use cross-sectional studies, limiting insight into the direction of effects, and most of the subjects in the study came from the face-to-face teaching environment. The correlation between teachers' autonomy support and students' academic engagement in the blended synchronous teaching environment is unclear. The present study examined lagged reciprocal relationships between teacher autonomy support and academic engagement. We assumed that teacher autonomy support is prospectively and positively related to academic engagement and that, conversely, academic engagement is prospectively and positively associated with teacher autonomy support. We tested our hypotheses with a longitudinal study of 500 individuals assessed 2 times over 4 months. The results did not support the possibility of a reciprocal relationship. Teacher autonomy support did not predict subsequent academic engagement, and academic engagement predicted subsequent teacher autonomy support. We believe that this finding is precisely in line with blended or pure online teaching and learning characteristics. The results are not only theoretical but also of practical importance.