ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Educational Psychology
Psychological Strategies and Student Engagement in High School: A Moderated Mediation Model of Teacher Communication, Motivation, and Behavioral Outcome
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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Abstract
This study investigates how psychological classroom strategies contribute to student behavioral engagement in high school settings in China. Grounded in self-determination theory and communication research, we develop and test a moderated mediation model in which positive reinforcement and emotional regulation cues predict classroom engagement, both directly and indirectly through student motivation. We also examine whether these indirect effects are strengthened by teacher communication style, conceptualized as a contextual moderator. Data were collected from 476 high school students and 34 teachers across four major cities in China. All survey instruments were adapted through a rigorous back-translation procedure and pilot tested for contextual clarity. Using AMOS, confirmatory factor analysis confirmed acceptable levels of reliability and validity across constructs. Structural equation modeling supported all hypothesized direct effects, and bootstrapped mediation analysis revealed that student motivation partially mediated the links between psychological strategies and engagement. Moderated mediation tests further demonstrated that these indirect effects were amplified when teacher communication style was perceived as highly respectful and supportive. These findings point out the synergistic role of motivational strategies and communicative behaviors in promoting student engagement and offer actionable insights for improving instructional practices in secondary education.
Summary
Keywords
Amos, China, Classroom Engagement, emotional regulation, High school education, moderated mediation, Positive reinforcement, Student motivation
Received
01 September 2025
Accepted
23 January 2026
Copyright
© 2026 LIU. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: YANPENG LIU
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