AUTHOR=Sun Lina , Ma Rongshuang , Du Chaohui , Zhao Jianmin , Yang Yuliu , Zhang Xiaoguang 

TITLE=A study on the impact of perceived teacher emotional support on university students’ online learning engagement: the mediating role of academic burnout

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1625857

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1625857

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=IntroductionThis study investigates the impact of perceived teacher emotional support on university students’ engagement in online learning, with a particular focus on the mediating role of academic burnout. Although prior research has established that perceived teacher emotional support positively influences learning engagement and that academic burnout has a negative effect, the underlying mechanisms among these three variables in an online learning context remain unclear.MethodsParticipants were drawn from a public university in China. Data were collected from 361 undergraduate students through a structured questionnaire, and the relationships among the key variables were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM).ResultsThe findings indicate that perceived teacher emotional support is a significant predictor of online learning engagement. Moreover, academic burnout serves as a mediator: higher levels of perceived emotional support from teachers are associated with lower levels of burnout and increased engagement in online learning activities. These results underscore the critical role of perceived teacher emotional support in mitigating academic burnout and enhancing students’ motivation and participation in online learning environments.