Introduction

Within the realm of language education, researchers have witnessed an affective turn (Pavlenko, 2013). Academic burnout, a relatively novel emotional construct, refers to a negative attitude and behavior towards learning, characterized by feelings of exhaustion stemming from excessive pressure or a dwindling passion for learning (Salmela-Aro & Upadyaya, 2014). This construct has recently drawn increasing attention (e.g., Derakhshan et al., 2022; Ding & Wang, 2024; Liu et al., 2025a; Wu et al., 2024). A glance at the existing literature reveals that researchers have primarily focused on the consequences (e.g., Wu et al., 2024) and inner structure of academic burnout (e.g., Liu & Zhong, 2022), while leaving the possible predictors or antecedents of academic burnout underexplored.

This study is rooted in the control-value theory of academic achievement emotions (Pekrun, 2006; Pekrun & Perry, 2014), which posits that students’ perceived teacher support, as a significant social and cultural antecedent, and academic buoyancy, as a crucial personality antecedent, can shape their academic emotions. Specifically, teacher support can buffer students from negative emotions such as burnout by enhancing their sense of control and value in academic learning. Given this, understanding the factors that affect students’ academic burnout, such as teacher support and academic buoyancy, is vital for policymakers and language teaching professionals aiming to improve language learners’ emotional experience. Therefore, there is a need to fill this gap by delving into the antecedents of academic burnout.

Over the past decades, the predictors of academic burnout have started to draw researchers’ attention (e.g., Karimi & Fallah, 2021; Salmela-Aro & Upadyaya, 2020). High levels of perceived support from English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) teachers have been shown to lessen or buffer students’ academic burnout (Karimi & Fallah, 2021; Yang et al., 2022). In addition, academic burnout has also been disclosed to correlate closely with academic buoyancy (Salmela-Aro & Upadyaya, 2020; Vinter, 2019). Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of research exploring the complex interactions among academic burnout, academic buoyancy, and perceived teacher support in the EFL learning context. More specifically, it remains uncertain how EFL teacher support could influence learners’ academic buoyancy, and how this academic buoyancy, in turn, could lessen or aggravate their academic burnout.

This study addresses these gaps by examining the links between academic burnout, academic buoyancy, and perceived EFL teacher support. We propose that when perceiving sufficient support, learners can become more buoyant in tackling academic challenges, thereby experiencing less burnout in their language learning process. By investigating these connections, this research aims to deliver deeper insights into the predictors of academic burnout in the EFL learning setting and inform educational interventions aimed at fostering positive learning experience.

Literature review

Control-value theory

Throughout the intricate and lengthy journey of acquiring a new language, learners are bound to encounter a spectrum of emotions, including burnout, enjoyment, and anxiety, which can affect both their scholastic success and mental health (Pekrun & Perry, 2014). The control-value theory of academic achievement emotions, introduced by Pekrun in 2006, heralds a new era for analyzing such emotions in the educational context. This theory offers a comprehensive and systematic model illustrating reciprocal relationships between emotions, its antecedents and effects. In the realm of foreign language education, there has been research attempting to apply the control-value theory to delve into language learners’ academic emotions (Liu et al., 2023; Yu et al., 2024).

Within the control-value theory, Pekrun and Perry (2014) have highlighted how social and cultural factors, as well as individual personality traits, can shape the academic emotions of learners. Teachers are significant others in learners’ immediate social environment, substantially impacting learners’ psychological condition by offering sufficient support, carrying out successful classroom instruction, and so on (Pekrun, 2006). Teacher support has been revealed by researchers to play a much more significant part in learners than other sources of support within the social support network (Chu et al., 2010; Kim et al., (2018). Researchers have proved teacher support to be a strong predictor of learners’ emotional conditions like academic burnout (Karimi & Fallah, 2021; Yang et al., 2022) and personality traits like academic buoyancy (Li, 2022; Yun et al., 2018) in the EFL learning context.

In addition to external social and cultural antecedents, internal personality traits (e.g., academic buoyancy) have also been claimed to affect students’ academic emotions (Pekrun, 2006). Researchers have revealed that academic buoyancy could influence language learners’ emotions like academic burnout (Salmela-Aro & Upadyaya, 2020; Vinter, 2019). Foreign language learners who exhibit buoyant personalities tend to have greater control over and value in their academic learning, making them less likely to experience burnout. However, few studies have ever verified the prediction of both external teacher support and internal buoyant personality traits in academic burnout in the EFL learning context. Hence, this study aspires to elucidate the intricate connections between academic burnout, academic buoyancy, and perceived EFL teacher support.

Teacher support and academic burnout

Teacher support, recognized as a multifaceted construct encompassing academic, emotional and instrumental support (Liu & Li, 2023), has gradually become a focal point in language education research (e.g., Derakhshan & Fathi, 2024; Hejazi & Sadoughi, 2023; Karimi & Fallah, 2021; Liu et al., 2025b). Researchers from the field of general education have revealed that academic burnout and its negative impacts could be lessened or buffered by perceived teacher support, as evidenced by both cross-sectional (e.g., Alsup & Moots, 2021) and longitudinal studies (e.g., Pap et al., 2021; Romano et al., 2021). Moreover, Kim et al., (2018) synthesized data from 19 studies encompassing 95,434 individuals to explore the link between social support and student burnout. Their findings indicated that students’ academic burnout can be mitigated when perceiving strong social support, with support from educational institutions or teachers having a more pronounced effect than other sources of social support. In conclusion, perceived teacher support emerges as a vital antecedent of academic burnout, underscoring the significance of teacher support in the educational context.

Scholars in the domain of language education have also endeavored to explore the links between students’ perceived teacher support and their academic emotions, like enjoyment and anxiety in EFL learning (Derakhshan et al., 2025; Liu et al., 2021). Beyond those traditional emotional variables, the novel construct—academic burnout—has also attracted researchers’ attention (e.g., Liu et al., 2021; Yun et al., 2018). Researchers have evidenced that academic burnout, along with its detrimental effects, can be lessened or buffered by perceived support from EFL teachers (e.g., Fu, 2023; Karimi & Fallah, 2021; Yang et al., 2022). Fu’s (2023) research corroborated that teacher support and peer support could shield EFL learners against burnout in academic learning. Yang et al. (2022) revealed that emotional support provided by teachers can moderate the path from academic burnout to self-efficacy in online EFL learning, ultimately affecting student satisfaction with online learning. Furthermore, Karimi and Fallah (2021) showed that academic burnout can be alleviated by perceived emotional support from EFL teachers both directly and indirectly. The indirect path could be mediated by intrinsic motivation and shame. A conclusion drawn from the above studies is that EFL teacher support may mitigate students’ academic burnout. Thus, it is posited that students’ perception of teacher support negatively predicts their academic burnout in the EFL learning environment.

Teacher support and academic buoyancy

In the area of general education research, scholars have discovered the significant effect of teacher support on students’ personality traits, such as the cultivation of academic buoyancy (e.g., Chong et al., 2018; Granziera et al., 2022; Rohinsa et al., 2019). Chong et al. (2018) revealed that teacher support could exert an indirect effect on students’ academic buoyancy, with cognitive and affective engagement being the mediators. In Rohinsa et al.’s (2019) research, students’ buoyancy in academic learning could be enhanced by perceived teacher support, which subsequently contributed to their academic engagement. Furthermore, Granziera et al. (2022) examined how academic buoyancy was affected by different aspects of teacher support. Their research revealed that it is instrumental support that can enhance academic buoyancy, rather than emotional support. To conclude, teacher support can significantly enhance students’ academic buoyancy, with distinct types of support exerting varying effects on academic buoyancy.

Unfortunately, in language education research, the relationship between perceived teacher support and academic buoyancy remains an uncharted territory. In Yun et al.’s (2018) research, the antecedents of students’ academic buoyancy have been explored and identified. They identified teacher-student relationship—a construct akin to teacher support—emerges as a crucial element. Li (2022) carried out a review of recent studies on how social support affects buoyancy and resilience, emphasizing the significance of teacher support for academic buoyancy in the EFL learning context. Fu (2023) confirmed that EFL learners’ academic buoyancy could be strengthened by social support, namely, teacher support and peer support. Furthermore, Li et al. (2023) proved that support provided by EFL teachers could contribute to students’ academic buoyancy. Derakhshan and Fathi (2025) disclosed that students’ perception of EFL teacher support was conducive to their academic buoyancy, which subsequently mitigated academic boredom and contributed to their academic achievement. Gathering insights from general education and foreign language education, it can be hypothesized that perceived teacher support can positively predict academic buoyancy in the EFL learning context.

Academic buoyancy and academic burnout

Existing literature exploring the interplay between academic buoyancy and academic burnout remains relatively sparse across both general education and foreign language education contexts. Academic buoyancy reflects the positive personality trait of students to effectively navigate academic setbacks, challenges, and routine adversities of school life (Martin & Marsh, 2008). Considering the nature of academic buoyancy to enable students to cope with the many challenges (Yun et al., 2018), such as academic burnout in language learning scenarios, academic buoyancy may contribute to buffering students from negative emotions like academic burnout.

Researchers from the field of general education conducted several studies on the links between academic burnout and academic buoyancy. Salmela-Aro and Upadyaya (2020) identified a negative correlation between these constructs, finding that Helsinki high school students with greater academic buoyancy, curiosity, and grit showed higher engagement and reduced burnout. Moreover, Harolds (2019) claimed that individuals’ capacity for academic resilience, a similar construct of academic buoyancy, empowered them to successfully recover from academic burnout. Furthermore, Vinter (2019) disclosed that academic burnout could be greatly mitigated by academic buoyancy among Estonian middle school students. Synthesizing the evidence from general education, it is plausible to infer that students’ academic buoyancy could predict the emergence of academic burnout, despite the current dearth of research specifically addressing this relationship in the EFL learning context.

Hypothesized model of the present study

Theoretical insights enlightened the role of external social and cultural antecedents (e.g., teacher support) and internal personality antecedents (e.g., academic buoyancy) on students’ academic emotions in the EFL learning setting (e.g., academic burnout; Pekrun, 2006). Several lines of evidence have demonstrated that academic buoyancy and burnout, as an influential positive personality trait and a negative emotional variable, respectively, are impacted by perceived support from EFL teachers (Karimi & Fallah, 2021). Academic buoyancy was disclosed to significantly reduce academic burnout (Vinter, 2019). So far, the pivotal role of teacher support in EFL learners’ personality development and emotional condition has garnered increasing attention in language education research (e.g., Hejazi & Sadoughi, 2023; Karimi & Fallah, 2021), though the number of studies is scant. Future studies are needed to delve into the complex relations between academic burnout, academic buoyancy, and teacher support in the EFL learning context. Furthermore, how different aspects of perceived EFL teacher support influence academic burnout through academic buoyancy remains underexplored.

Therefore, drawing on the control-value theory, in combination with empirical evidence, this research posits that students’ perceived EFL teacher support, along with its three key dimensions—academic support, emotional support, and instrumental support—can directly and indirectly predict academic burnout as well as its dimensions (i.e., exhaustion and demotivation). Academic buoyancy mediates these indirect relationships. The simple SEM model shown in Fig. 1 and the complex SEM model shown in Fig. 2 are formulated with specific hypotheses attached below. By examining the mechanisms through which teacher support influences academic buoyancy and subsequently shapes academic burnout, this research seeks to provide insights into the interplay among these variables.

Fig. 1
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The hypothesized simple SEM model.

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Fig. 2
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The hypothesized complex SEM model.

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H1: Teacher support directly predicts academic burnout.

 H1a: Academic support directly predicts exhaustion.

 H1b: Academic support directly predicts demotivation.

 H1c: Emotional support directly predicts exhaustion.

 H1d: Emotional support directly predicts demotivation.

 H1e: Instrumental support directly predicts exhaustion.

 H1f: Instrumental support directly predicts demotivation.

H2: Teacher support predicts academic buoyancy.

 H2a: Academic support predicts academic buoyancy.

 H2b: Emotional support predicts academic buoyancy.

 H2c: Instrumental support predicts academic buoyancy.

H3: Academic buoyancy predicts academic burnout.

 H3a: Academic buoyancy predicts exhaustion.

 H3b: Academic buoyancy predicts demotivation.

H4: Teacher support predicts academic burnout indirectly via academic buoyancy.

 H4a: Academic support predicts exhaustion indirectly via academic buoyancy.

 H4b: Academic support predicts demotivation indirectly via academic buoyancy.

 H4c: Emotional support predicts exhaustion indirectly via academic buoyancy.

 H4d: Emotional support predicts demotivation indirectly via academic buoyancy.

 H4e: Instrumental support predicts exhaustion indirectly via academic buoyancy.

 H4f: Instrumental support predicts demotivation indirectly via academic buoyancy.

Method

Participants

This research recruited 634 upper secondary school students from a northeastern province in China using a convenience sampling method. This approach was opted for its ability to minimize selection and sampling bias (Mackey & Gass, 2011). Participants were required to meet the following inclusion criteria: (1) being currently enrolled in an upper secondary school within the selected province; (2) being aged between 15 and 18 years; and (3) having no severe learning disabilities or cognitive impairments that would hinder their participation in the study. The exclusion criteria were: (1) students who were absent during the data collection period; and (2) students who did not provide parental or guardian consent. A final sample of 603 valid cases was retained. The sample involved 241 male students (40.0%) and 362 female students (60.0%). In terms of grade level, 280 participants (46.4%) were in senior one, 164 (27.2%) were in senior two, and 159 (26.4%) were in senior three.

Research instrument

Questionnaires are used for data collection, consisting of a section for students’ background information, including gender, age, grade levels, etc. This is followed by three 6-point Likert scales, varying from 1 (totally disagree) to 6 (totally agree).

Students’ perceived EFL teacher support

Given that it was generated within the Chinese EFL learning context and had desirable psychometric properties, the original items from the Students’ Perceived English Teacher Support Scale developed by Liu and Li (2023) were chosen to measure research participants’ perceived EFL teacher support. This 12-item scale involves three dimensions, namely, academic support (five items; example item: “The English teacher imparts language knowledge to us, such as the pronunciation of words, fixed usage, etc.”), emotional support (four items; example item: “The English teacher has high expectations of me.”) and instrumental support (three items; example item: “The English teacher shares online learning resources with me, such as word memorization software, etc.”).

Academic burnout

To assess participants’ academic burnout, we applied the Senior High School Academic Burnout Scale (Liu & Zhong, 2022). The items were adapted for the Chinese EFL learning context. This 10-item scale is composed of two dimensions, with six items for demotivation (example item: “I have become less enthusiastic about my English studies.”) and four items for exhaustion (example item: “Studying or attending an English class is really a strain for me.”).

Academic buoyancy

The Academic Buoyancy Scale (Yun et al., 2018) was adapted to gauge students’ academic buoyancy. This single-dimensional scale includes four items. A sample item is: “Once I decide to do something for English learning, I am like a bulldog: I don’t give up until I reach the goal.”

Data collection

Ethical issues were considered before collecting the data. The ethical approval of this study was waived, given this study’s non-interventionist nature and low risk. In July 2024, electronic versions of the questionnaires were formulated and disseminated on the online survey platform (https://www.wjx.cn). Participants received clear explanations of research objectives and were assured of response confidentiality strictly for academic purpose. Anonymity was maintained by not soliciting participants’ names. Participation was entirely voluntary, with rights to withdraw the involvement at any stage of the research without incurring any penalties or loss of benefits. The research participants were encouraged to provide genuine and authentic responses.

Data analysis

The data was processed using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 24.0. Following data cleaning to remove incomplete, duplicated, or blank responses, 603 valid cases were retained. Preliminary data analysis involved testing for univariate normality and assessing multicollinearity. Next, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using generalised least squares (GLS) estimation to identify the measurement models. Descriptive and correlation statistics were carried out to show the levels of and correlations between the variables involved in this study. Subsequently, the hypothesized SEM model was tested with GLS estimation to disclose the intricate relationships between academic burnout, academic buoyancy, and perceived teacher support in the EFL learning context. Mediation effects were assessed using bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples and 95% bias-corrected confidence intervals (Hayes, 2009).

Results

Preliminary analysis

Tests of univariate normality were performed in advance to examine the distribution of the obtained data. The results are detailed in the Supplementary Materials. Notably, the kurtosis values of some items exceeded the threshold of |10.0 | , indicating significant non-normality (Kline, 2016). Test for multicollinearity was then carried out, with the values of the variance inflation factor falling between 1.403 and 2.908, which are within the acceptable range and thus indicate no presence of multicollinearity (O’brien (2007)).

Confirmatory factor analysis was carried out to evaluate the measurement models of learners’ perceived EFL teacher support, academic buoyancy and academic burnout in the EFL learning context. The initial measurement models did not align well with the data. So we made some modifications to them, and the final measurement models yielded satisfactory model fit, an indication of acceptable construct validity. Convergent validity was established with average variance extracted and composite reliability values exceeding the thresholds of 0.5 and 0.7, respectively (Hair et al., 2018). Discriminant validity was confirmed by heterotrait-monotrait ratios below 0.9 (Henseler et al., 2015). All scales exhibited robust reliability with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients exceeding 0.7 (Hair et al., 2018). Comprehensive details regarding the validity and reliability are presented in the Supplementary Materials.

Profiles of students’ perceived teacher support, academic buoyancy, and academic burnout

Descriptive statistics and Spearman correlations were computed for the latent variables, namely, perceived EFL teacher support, academic buoyancy, and academic burnout. The specific details are presented in Table 1. Participants perceived a notably high degree of global support from their EFL teachers (M = 5.44, SD = 0.73). Among the three dimensions, they perceived the strongest degree of academic support (M = 5.65, SD = 0.58), trailed by emotional support (M = 5.43, SD = 0.85) and instrumental support (M = 5.09, SD = 1.19). Academic burnout was low (M = 2.32, SD = 1.24), particularly for exhaustion (M = 2.02, SD = 1.37) and demotivation (M = 2.55, SD = 1.38). Moreover, they exhibited a moderate to high degree of academic buoyancy (M = 4.34, SD = 1.34). In terms of their interrelationships, these three constructs, as well as their sub-components, correlated significantly with each other, albeit with varying degrees.

Table 1 The descriptive and correlation statistics.
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Results of the structural equation modeling

Simple model

Figure 3 presents the simple SEM model examining relationships among perceived EFL teacher support, academic burnout, and academic buoyancy. Teacher support significantly reduced academic burnout (β = −0.224, p < 0.001), supporting H1, while positively predicting academic buoyancy (β = 0.505, p < 0.001), confirming H2. Academic buoyancy further diminished burnout (β = −0.540, p < 0.001), supporting H3. Mediation analysis revealed a significant mediating effect of academic buoyancy, with a bias-corrected confidence interval [−0.569, −0.374] excluding zero. The standardized indirect effect size was −0.273, and the statistical significance was below the 0.001 threshold. Consequently, Hypothesis 4 is supported.

Fig. 3
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The finalized simple SEM model.

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Complex model

The complex SEM model, after modifications, yielded an acceptable model fit, with χ2/df being 2.250, p being 0.000, RMSEA being 0.050, SRMR being 0.052, and GFI and AGFI being 0.927 and 0.904, respectively. The results of path analysis are depicted in Fig. 4 and Table 2. It can be seen that academic support could be a significant and direct predictor of both exhaustion (β = −0.219, p < 0.05) and demotivation (β = −0.159, p < 0.05), thereby validating H1a and H1b. However, emotional and instrumental support could not directly affect exhaustion or demotivation, leading to the rejection of H1c, H1d, H1e, and H1f. In addition, emotional support could significantly predict academic buoyancy (β = 0.429, p < 0.001), while academic and instrumental support did not exert a significant influence, thus confirming H2b and leading to the rejection of H2a and H2c. Moreover, academic buoyancy could negatively predict exhaustion (β = −0.238, p < 0.001) and demotivation (β = −0.619, p < 0.001), thus supporting H3a and H3b.

Fig. 4
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The finalized complex SEM model.

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Table 2 Results of SEM analysis.
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In terms of the indirect effect, emotional support can negatively and indirectly predict exhaustion (β = −0.102, confidence interval [−0.393, −0.069]) and demotivation (β = −0.266, confidence interval [−0.851, −0.236]) via the mediating role of academic buoyancy, thus confirming H4c and H4d. In contrast, neither academic nor instrumental support significantly predicted exhaustion or demotivation via academic buoyancy (Table 3). Thus, H4a, H4b, H4e and H4f are invalid.

Table 3 Results of indirect effects in the SEM model.
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Discussion

Direct impact of perceived teacher support on academic burnout

Regarding Hypothesis 1 and its sub-hypotheses, the findings revealed that global support from EFL teachers directly reduced academic burnout among students. More specifically, emotional and instrumental support could not exert a direct influence on the subdimensions of academic burnout, namely, exhaustion and demotivation. Conversely, academic support could significantly predict exhaustion and demotivation. The results imply that comprehensive support from EFL teachers helps reduce student burnout. However, when we break down the facets of support, for instance, neither emotional care nor practical assistance could directly affect academic burnout, such as feeling exhausted or losing motivation.

These findings partially align with prior studies that have shown the role of global EFL teacher support in reducing academic burnout in the Chinese EFL learning context (Fu, 2023). In Fu’s (2023) research, students’ academic burnout was significantly affected by global teacher support. However, this study’s results slightly differ from those of Karimi and Fallah (2021), who demonstrated that Iranian university EFL learners’ academic burnout could be lessened by emotional support from EFL teachers. The discrepancies observed in the findings may be attributable to several factors. One key factor is the incorporation of the mediating function of academic buoyancy in the current study. Specifically, academic buoyancy fully mediated the link between teacher emotional support and burnout. In addition, cultural differences within the educational context may play a part. For instance, Iranian students, as researched by Karimi and Fallah (2021), may perceive teacher emotional support differently compared to the students in this study. Cultural norms and educational practice can shape how students interpret and respond to various forms of support (Liu & Li, 2023).

Empirically validating control-value theory, this finding demonstrates that perceived teacher support—a significant social and cultural factor—shapes students’ academic emotions in the EFL learning context (Pekrun, 2006; Pekrun & Perry, 2014). The study’s findings underscore the significance of the collective impact of various dimensions of EFL teacher support within the broader social support system (Tardy, 1985). Specifically, the global support provided by teacher is more instrumental in influencing academic burnout. It suggests that a comprehensive approach to teacher support is essential, as the absence of any element can impede the effective mitigation of students’ burnout in EFL learning.

Direct impact of perceived teacher support on academic buoyancy

In terms of Hypothesis 2 and its sub-hypotheses, our investigation explored the direct effect of students’ perception of teacher support on academic buoyancy in EFL learning. The results suggest that global EFL teacher support could directly and positively impact academic buoyancy. More precisely, emotional support from EFL teachers significantly predicted academic buoyancy. Conversely, academic support and instrumental support did not play a statistically significant predictive role in academic buoyancy.

These findings corroborate those of previous research in both Chinese (Fu, 2023; Li et al., 2023) and Iranian (Derakhshan & Fathi, 2025) foreign language learning settings. Previous studies have consistently demonstrated that overall teacher support could strengthen academic buoyancy of foreign language learners (Derakhshan & Fathi, 2025; Fu, 2023). In the current study, emotional support—characterized by care, trust, encouragement, and empathy—plays a crucial role in creating a supportive classroom environment that makes students feel valued and understood (Liu & Li, 2023). This nurturing atmosphere may, in turn, help alleviate burnout among students in the EFL learning setting.

This research extends the literature by focusing on the effects of specific facets of perceived support from EFL teachers on academic buoyancy—a relatively underexplored area compared to global teacher support (Fu, 2023; Yun et al., 2018). The results highlight the crucial role of emotional support from EFL teachers in fostering academic buoyancy, highlighting the importance of this specific dimension within the broader social support system. These results suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing emotional support from teachers may be particularly effective in promoting students’ academic buoyancy.

Direct impact of academic buoyancy on academic burnout

Concerning Hypothesis 3 and its sub-hypotheses, this research revealed that academic buoyancy could negatively predict global academic burnout as well as its specific components, namely, exhaustion and demotivation. These findings align with existing literature that connects academic buoyancy with reduced levels of academic burnout in both Helsinki (Salmela-Aro & Upadyaya, 2020) and Estonian (Vinter, 2019) contexts. Specifically, Salmela-Aro and Upadyaya (2020) discovered that Helsinki high school students with stronger buoyancy were less inclined to be categorized as burnt out rather than engaged. Similarly, Vinter (2019) unveiled the efficacious effect of academic buoyancy on buffering or lessening burnout in Estonian academic learning context. Furthermore, the findings of this research may confirm the viewpoint of the control-value theory, underscoring the role of buoyancy as a significant positive personality trait in affecting students’ academic emotions (Pekrun, 2006; Pekrun & Perry, 2014).

Indirect impact of perceived teacher support on academic burnout

In terms of Hypothesis 4 and its sub-hypotheses, this research found that students’ perceptions of support from EFL teachers can act as an indirect predictor of academic burnout via academic buoyancy. To be more specific, emotional support could negatively and indirectly predict demotivation and exhaustion, with academic buoyancy serving as a mediating factor. Conversely, this study found nonsignificant effects of academic and instrumental support on exhaustion and demotivation via academic buoyancy.

These findings resonate with prior research conducted in Chinese (Fu, 2023; Wu et al., 2023), Iranian (Karimi & Fallah, 2021), Italian (Romano et al., 2020) and Croatian (Ljubin-Golub et al., 2020) EFL learning settings. Prior studies have investigated the indirect effect of social support on EFL learning burnout (Fu, 2023). Moreover, several researchers have also explored the role of a single aspect of EFL teacher support, such as emotional support, in affecting academic burnout (Karimi & Fallah, 2021; Wu et al., 2023). Karimi and Fallah (2021) found that EFL learners’ perception of emotional support could indirectly predict academic burnout through motivation and shame. Wu et al. (2023) found the indirect path from EFL teacher emotional support to academic burnout via L2 grit.

The present study advances the literature by exploring the intricate pathways from both global and specific dimensions of perceived EFL teacher support to academic burnout, mediated by academic buoyancy. The current study may enhance the comprehension of how various facets of teacher support influence students’ burnout in EFL learning. Furthermore, the present research may contribute to the interpretation of the functioning mechanism by which teacher support alleviates academic burnout by strengthening academic buoyancy. Grounded in the control-value theory, we posit that distal socio-cultural factors (e.g., perceived teacher support) enhance students’ personality traits (e.g., academic buoyancy), which subsequently buffer against academic burnout in EFL learning (Pekrun, 2006; Pekrun & Perry, 2014).

Conclusion and implications

Driven by the need to disclose the antecedents of academic burnout, the current research disclosed the complex interplay between academic burnout, academic buoyancy, and students’ perceptions of teacher support in the EFL learning context. The research revealed the substantial role of external socio-cultural factors (e.g., perceived EFL teacher support) and internal traits (e.g., academic buoyancy) in alleviating students’ negative emotions. Furthermore, the current study delved into the distinct roles of various facets of EFL teacher support (i.e., academic, emotional and instrumental support) in shaping students’ academic emotions. Notably, emotional support emerged as a crucial factor in bolstering students’ academic buoyancy while alleviating their academic burnout.

This study has three limitations that must be recognized. First, the conclusions are achieved merely based on quantitative data, which may overlook the nuanced contextual factors and individual experiences that qualitative methods could reveal. Second, the findings are primarily based on self-reported data from students. This reliance on self-reports may introduce response bias. Third, as a cross-sectional study, this research cannot capture dynamic fluctuation of perceived teacher support, academic burnout, and academic buoyancy in the EFL learning setting.

This study offers theoretical and practical implications. For theory advancement, subsequent work should overcome current methodological constraints (e.g., via qualitative/mixed-methods designs) to explore nuanced student perspectives on teacher support and academic adaptation. Additionally, incorporating observational data could offer a more detailed portrayal of the individuals involved, thereby mitigating the risk of response bias. Moreover, longitudinal methodologies or dynamic systems theory could also be employed to trace and analyze the complex, time-dependent interactions among academic burnout, academic buoyancy, and perceived EFL teacher support, thereby yielding a more thorough and temporally sensitive understanding.

Practically, comprehensive teacher support is essential. Teachers should provide academic guidance, emotional care, and extracurricular assistance to meet students’ diverse needs. The mediation effect of academic buoyancy underscores the importance of cultivating positive personalities to help students adapt to challenges and achieve sustainable development. Teacher training programs and professional development initiatives should train teachers to integrate multifaceted support strategies, thereby enhancing educational outcomes.