A Review Paper on Teacher Autonomy Support, Student Engagement, and Self-Efficacy

This review paper examines the relationships among teacher autonomy support, self-efficacy, and the five factors of student engagement (affective engagement: liking for learning and liking for school; behavioral engagement: effort and persistence, and extracurricular activities; and cognitive engagement), with a focus on first-year undergraduate students. Findings suggest that autonomy-supportive teaching practices enhance student engagement across these dimensions. Despite strong evidence linking these constructs, limited research has examined the mechanisms underlying this relationship, particularly in the Philippine setting and especially among first-year undergraduate students transitioning from high school to higher education. Studies consistently show that self-efficacy beliefs also promote student engagement. This review highlights the necessity of integrative research to examine the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between teacher autonomy support and the five factors of student engagement. Such insights may inform institutional policies and instructional practices aimed at promoting student engagement and academic success in higher education.