The Joint Roles of Emotion Regulation and Teacher Support in Shaping Academic Engagement Among Chinese Graduate Students Majoring in Foreign Languages: A Qualitative Study

Wang, Yongxiang; Wang, Siyi

doi:10.30466/ijltr.2024.121578

The Joint Roles of Emotion Regulation and Teacher Support in Shaping Academic Engagement Among Chinese Graduate Students Majoring in Foreign Languages: A Qualitative Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Yongxiang Wang

Siyi Wang

School of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Nanjing Normal University, China

10.30466/ijltr.2024.121578

Abstract

Emotion regulation and teacher support are critical factors in students’ learning processes; however, the specific types and effects of these variables on students’ engagement remain underexplored. This study examines different emotion regulation strategies and forms of teacher support, as well as their influence on students’ academic engagement through semi-structured interviews with 64 Chinese foreign language major graduate students, including 62 master’s students and 2 doctoral students. Thematic analysis, using MAXQDA software (v. 2022), identified eight key categories of emotion regulation strategies and six dimensions of teacher support. Findings indicate that students with higher levels of academic engagement employ a broader range of emotion regulation strategies and receive more varied teacher support. These results highlight the importance of diverse emotional regulation approaches and teacher support in fostering academic engagement, suggesting that students should develop diverse emotion regulation skills for greater resilience and guiding teachers to provide multi-dimensional support, promoting an environment that enhances student engagement and success.

Keywords

emotion regulation

teacher support

academic engagement

MAXQDA