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<p>Teacher support is widely recognized as an important antecedent of student engagement in second language (L2) education, yet existing research remains fragmented in its conceptualization and differentiation of teacher support, as well as explanation of motivational mechanisms. This systematic review synthesized 27 peer-reviewed empirical studies identified through PRISMA-guided searches of Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCOhost, covering English-language publications from January 2015 to March 2026. The findings revealed substantial variation in how teacher support was operationalized, ranging from self-determination theory (SDT)-aligned dimensions of autonomy support, structure or competence support, and involvement or relatedness support to constructs derived from classroom climate and social support traditions. Across the reviewed studies, five forms of motivational explanation were identified: need-based mechanisms, cognitive-motivational mechanisms, affective mechanisms, regulatory mechanisms, and cross-category co-occurring pathways. Cognitive-motivational mechanisms were examined most frequently, whereas affective and regulatory mechanisms remained comparatively underexplored. Methodologically, the literature was dominated by quantitative, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based studies conducted primarily in Asian EFL contexts, especially China. Based on these findings, the review proposes an integrated framework that organizes motivational mechanisms as distinct but interrelated pathways through which teacher support may shape multidimensional student engagement in L2 education. By clarifying conceptual and operational heterogeneity through an SDT-based lens, this review advances a more coherent account of how teacher support contributes to L2 learners’ behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and agentic engagement.</p>

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Teacher support and student engagement in second language education: a systematic review of motivational mechanisms and an integrated framework

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年8月4日

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  • Lingling Gan,
  • Jia Wei Lim

摘要

Teacher support is widely recognized as an important antecedent of student engagement in second language (L2) education, yet existing research remains fragmented in its conceptualization and differentiation of teacher support, as well as explanation of motivational mechanisms. This systematic review synthesized 27 peer-reviewed empirical studies identified through PRISMA-guided searches of Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCOhost, covering English-language publications from January 2015 to March 2026. The findings revealed substantial variation in how teacher support was operationalized, ranging from self-determination theory (SDT)-aligned dimensions of autonomy support, structure or competence support, and involvement or relatedness support to constructs derived from classroom climate and social support traditions. Across the reviewed studies, five forms of motivational explanation were identified: need-based mechanisms, cognitive-motivational mechanisms, affective mechanisms, regulatory mechanisms, and cross-category co-occurring pathways. Cognitive-motivational mechanisms were examined most frequently, whereas affective and regulatory mechanisms remained comparatively underexplored. Methodologically, the literature was dominated by quantitative, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based studies conducted primarily in Asian EFL contexts, especially China. Based on these findings, the review proposes an integrated framework that organizes motivational mechanisms as distinct but interrelated pathways through which teacher support may shape multidimensional student engagement in L2 education. By clarifying conceptual and operational heterogeneity through an SDT-based lens, this review advances a more coherent account of how teacher support contributes to L2 learners’ behavioral, emotional, cognitive, and agentic engagement.