This study aimed to explore the influence of online learning environments on learners’ empowerment, learning behavioral engagement and learning motivation and examine the mediating role of learning motivation. A total of 398 (132 male and 266 female) students from a comprehensive university in China participated in questionnaire survey and reported on their perceived online learning environments, learners’ empowerment, learning behavioral engagement, and learning motivation. Results showed that online learning environments significantly and positively influenced learners’ empowerment, learning behavioral engagement, and learning motivation; learners’ empowerment is positively associated with learning behavioral engagement. Furthermore, learning motivation mediated the relation between online learning environments and learning behavioral engagement. These findings unraveled the associations of both the external factors (e.g., online learning environments) and the internal factors (e.g., learning motivation; learners’ empowerment) of affecting students’ online learning behavioral engagement, thereby contributing to our further understanding and exploration of the imperatives of the joint inherent and extrinsic driving mechanisms. This study highlighted the importance of constructing appropriate online learning environments in accelerating students’ learning behavioral engagement, and would suggest focusing on teachers’ conscientious behaviors of enhancing the awareness of online learning community and stimulating students’ learning motivation.

The study explored the multidimensional relationships between educational situation perception, teacher support, online learning engagement and academic self-efficacy in technology-based language learning in a sample of Chinese undergraduate students, and meanwhile examined the mediating effects of academic self-efficacy and teacher support. A total of 392 (126 male and 266 female) Chinese university students reported on their perceived educational situation, teacher support, online learning engagement, and academic self-efficacy. Results showed that educational situation perception was significantly and positively associated with teacher support, online learning engagement and academic self-efficacy; teacher support and academic self-efficacy was positively correlated with online learning engagement. More importantly, academic self-efficacy as well as teacher support mediated the relationship between educational situation perception and online learning engagement. These findings extended previous research by considering both the external factors (i.e., educational situation; teacher support) and the internal factors (i.e., academic self-efficacy) of influencing students’ online learning engagement in technology-based language learning, thereby contributing to enhancing our understanding of the joint drive of the inherent and extrinsic power mechanisms. This study highlighted the following aspects: (1) strengthening the consideration of the key elements of the educational situation; (2) clarifying the pivotal position of intelligent technology in educational situations; and (3) emphasizing the reconstruction of intelligence teaching ecology driven by learning activities. Besides, this study indicated the significance of elevating teachers’ awareness, willingness and capacity of the substantial supports in enhancing students’ online learning engagement and would inform that the future research on the connotation and ways of teacher support should be responding to technology-based learning environments.

This study explored the contributions of teacher supports toward students’ self-directed language learning beyond the classroom and investigated whether technology acceptance and technological self-efficacy could be the mediators between teacher supports and students’ self-directed language learning in a sample of Chinese undergraduate students. A total of 197 freshmen students in one university in Eastern China participated in the questionnaires concerning teacher supports, technology acceptance, technological self-efficacy and self-directed language learning. The study highlighted the results: (1) perceived usefulness mediated the relationship between teacher affective supports and students’ self-directed language learning as well as the relationship between teacher capacity supports and students’ self-directed language learning; (2) technological self-efficacy mediated the relationship between teacher affective supports and students’ self-directed language learning as well as the relationship between teacher behavior supports and students’ self-directed language learning; and (3) perceived easy of use had no noticeable mediating functions, but exerted an indirect influence on students’ self-directed language learning. These findings extended previous researches by considering both the external factors (i.e., teacher supports) and the internal factors (i.e., technology acceptance and technological self-efficacy) of influencing students’ self-directed language learning, thereby contributing to enhancing our understanding of the joint drive of the inherent and extrinsic power mechanisms. This study indicated the significance of elevating teachers’ awareness of the substantial supports in enhancing students’ self-directed language learning beyond the classroom and would inform that the future research on teachers’ compliance in relation to technology use be converted from institutional mandates into teachers’ conscientious behaviors.

Academic engagement plays an undeniable role in students’ leaning outcome. Therefore, identifying the influential antecedents of promoting students’ academic engagement is extremely crucial. Despite previous empirical studies have delved into the part played by several student-related and teacher-related factors in triggering Chinese students’ academic engagement, the exploration on the roles of teacher support and teacher–student rapport is still scant. Thus, this study attempts to concentrate on the influence of teacher support and teacher–student rapport on undergraduate students’ academic engagement in China. Three scales of the questionnaire—one each for teacher’s support, student-teacher rapport, and the level of academic engagement—were completed by a total of 298 undergraduate students. Spearman Rho test was adopted to detect the correlations between the variables. Following that, multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the predictive power of the dependent variables. The result found that teacher support and teacher–student rapport exert a tremendous influence on boosting Chinese students’ academic engagement. The leading implications and future directions are also presented.

As positive psychology is imported into second language acquisition, we witness the increasing interest in the research of English enjoyment. Therefore, investigating the antecedents of English enjoyment is of paramount importance. Although internal and external factors have been scrutinized by researchers, scarce studies have explored the effect of peer support and regulatory emotional self-efficacy on English enjoyment. Thus, this study was designed to further clarify the association between these two constructs and English enjoyment. A questionnaire involving the three variables of peer support, English enjoyment, and regulatory emotional self-efficacy was administered to 324 non-English major undergraduate students at a comprehensive university in Eastern China. Correlation analysis and mediation effect tests indicated that peer support and regulatory emotional self-efficacy positively predicted English enjoyment, and regulatory emotional self-efficacy played a mediating role between peer support and English enjoyment. This study highlights the significance of peer support and positive emotions in second language learning and extends our understanding of enhancing students’ learning enjoyment through teachers’ positive intervention to facilitate peer support and regulatory emotional self-efficacy.