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The positive psychology turn in language education research has sparked increased scholarly interest in positive psychological variables among learners, such as empathy, which may contribute to their well‐being and social networks. Empathy, shaped by both personal and environmental factors, can be influenced by a critical element in the learner’s immediate environment, namely, teacher support. However, the role of perceived teacher support (PTS) in fostering learner empathy remains underexplored. To address this gap, the present study investigated the structure of and relationship between the two constructs, with a sample of 748 Chinese high school English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language (EFL) students. Results of exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM) confirmed the trifactorial structure of PTS in EFL students, consisting of academic, emotional, and instrumental support, and the unidimensional structure of learner empathy. Additionally, PTS and its subconstructs were found to be positively correlated with empathy. Multiple linear regression analysis further revealed that emotional and instrumental support together significantly and positively predicted learner empathy. Implications for enhancing teachers’ impact on learners were discussed.
Liu et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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