Perceived teacher support on junior high school students’ emotional engagement in english class: based on a structural equation modeling analysis

Abstract This study investigates the mechanisms through which perceived teacher support influences emotional engagement in Chinese junior high school English classrooms under the 2022 English Curriculum Standards. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) with a sample of 1,014 students, the research examines the mediating roles of four skill-specific foreign language anxieties (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). Teacher support enhances emotional engagement (β = 0.740) and reduces reading (β = 0.090) and writing anxiety (β = 0.145). Anxiety reduction predicts decreases in listening (β = 0.598) and speaking anxiety (β = 0.653). Writing anxiety reduction lowers speaking anxiety (β = 0.433). Surprisingly, listening anxiety reduction negatively impacts emotional engagement (β=-0.108), suggesting complex affective dynamics in input-based learning. The study extends Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis by demonstrating multidimensional support mechanisms and skill-specific anxiety pathways. Key practical implications include the need for differentiated pedagogical strategies addressing distinct anxiety types. Findings align with China's educational reforms emphasizing core competencies and affective dimensions in language learning.