ABSTRACT This sequential explanatory mixed‐methods study explored how teachers' autonomy support influences students' learning engagement and well‐being in online learning environments, with intrinsic motivation and academic resilience as mediators. Quantitative data were gathered through surveys of 990 university students, followed by in‐depth qualitative interviews with 12 selected participants. The quantitative findings revealed that teacher autonomy support positively predicted both learning engagement and well‐being. Furthermore, intrinsic motivation and academic resilience mediated the relationship between teacher autonomy support and these outcomes. Interestingly, sequential mediating effects of intrinsic motivation and academic resilience were observed in the association between teacher autonomy support and both learning engagement and well‐being. Qualitative analysis identified five key themes: advantages and challenges of online learning, the ideal teacher role, learning motivation, problem‐solving strategies, and the overall learning experiences. These findings offer practical insights for enhancing teachers' professional development and designing effective online learning environments.
Shi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.