Background <p>Student engagement (SEN) is pivotal for meaningful learning, yet the factors influencing engagement in EFL settings remain insufficiently understood. This study examines the roles of students’ perceived teacher support (SPTS) and self-efficacy (SEF) in shaping engagement among Chinese EFL learners.</p> Methods <p>A total of 2263 participants were surveyed using a quantitative approach. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied using SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 26.0 to examine the relationships among students’ perceived teacher support, self-efficacy, and student engagement.</p> Results <p>The results revealed that students’ perceived teacher support positively predicted both self-efficacy and student engagement. Additionally, self-efficacy was found to not only directly influence student engagement but also partially mediate the relationship between students’ perceived teacher support and student engagement.</p> Conclusions <p>This inquiry extends the theoretical understanding of SCT by providing empirical evidence and deepens our understanding of how contextual (i.e., students’ perceived teacher support) and individual (i.e., self-efficacy) factors specifically influence behavior (i.e., student engagement) in the Chinese EFL learning context, offering valuable insights for educators to design targeted interventions to optimize language teaching and learning.</p>