While prior research has linked perceived teacher support and teacher–student relationships (TSR), the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Thus, we investigated the mediating role of gratitude and the moderating effect of humility on this relationship. The sample comprised 387 university students in China. We found a positive association between perceived teacher support and TSR, with gratitude mediating this relationship. This implies that perceived teacher support enhanced TSR partly by evoking feelings of gratitude in students. Humility moderated this mediated pathway, as higher levels of humility amplified the indirect effect of perceived teacher support on TSR through gratitude. These results underscore the significance of considering both external support and individual differences in cultivating positive TSR. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in detail.
Ma et al. (Wed,) studied this question.