The mediating role of academic emotions in the relationship between cooperative learning and perceived classroom environment: A structural equation modeling approach

A supportive classroom environment is essential for students’ emotional and academic growth, yet its role in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings has been relatively underexplored. This study explored how EFL students’ perceptions of their classroom environment shape their academic emotions and cooperative learning. The final sample comprised 276 high school students, and data were analyzed through statistical methods, including Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The analysis results suggested that supportive classroom environments improved constructive academic emotions and stronger cooperative learning, with academic emotions serving as a key link between classroom conditions and collaboration. The findings indicate that students’ emotional experiences constitute a central component of the language-learning process. For educators, the study highlights the value of building emotionally supportive classrooms that ease anxiety, strengthen motivation, and encourage collaboration practices that can enrich both students’ well-being and their academic success.