How teacher caring behavior affects high school students’ English academic performance: the mediating role of academic emotions

This study aimed to investigate how teacher-caring behavior (TCB) influences high school students' English academic performance through the mediating role of academic emotions, drawing on self-determination theory and emotion-regulation theory. The participants were 702 high school students (M = 17.48, SD = 0.519) who were selected via random sampling in 4 public high schools, in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province in 2024. All the participants filled in the structured self-report paper questionnaires on TCB and academic emotion. In addition, students' English academic performance was assessed through a standardized final examination. The data were analyzed with structural equation modeling in SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 24.0. The findings indicate that: TCB directly predicts high school students' English academic performance; TCB influences high school students' English academic performance through the mediating roles of academic emotions. Among these, enjoyment plays a positive mediating role, while anxiety and boredom play negative mediating roles. These findings highlight the dual role of TCB in shaping students' emotional experiences and academic outcomes, offering novel insights into how educators can optimize English learning environments. By providing actionable strategies for improving classroom practices, this study not only supports students' academic success and well-being but also contributes to both educational theory and practical teaching methodologies.