{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T06:01:00Z","timestamp":1790834460292,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790812800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Reading literacy is a fundamental determinant of academic achievement. However, the complex psychological mechanisms linking teacher support to reading literacy during the critical developmental transition of middle childhood remain insufficiently understood. This gap is particularly evident within the Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC) context, where teacher authority and social validation are highly prominent. Grounded in an integration of control-value theory and social cognitive theory, this study aims to investigate the parallel mediating roles of achievement emotions (an affective pathway) and reading self-efficacy (a cognitive-motivational pathway) in the relationship between perceived teacher support and reading literacy.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 460 Grade 4 pupils (aged 9\u201310\u202fyears) from two public schools in Beijing, China. Data were collected using validated self-report questionnaires for psychological constructs and a Chinese adaptation of the PIRLS assessment for reading literacy, followed by analysis using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      The structural model revealed that perceived teacher support significantly and positively predicted reading literacy (\n                      <jats:italic>\u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 0.446,\n                      <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                      &amp;lt;0.001). Mediation analyses using bias-corrected bootstrapping demonstrated that achievement emotions significantly mediated the relationship between teacher support and reading literacy (\n                      <jats:italic>\u03b2<\/jats:italic>\n                      = 0.063, 95% CI [0.015, 0.115]). Conversely, reading self-efficacy did not exhibit a significant independent mediation effect when accounting for emotional factors. The total model explained 31.3% of the variance in reading literacy.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>These findings highlight that teacher support enhances primary school pupils\u2019 reading literacy primarily through emotional rather than cognitive-motivational pathways. The study extends existing literature by demonstrating that fostering emotionally supportive classroom environments and positive achievement emotions is a vital, yet often overlooked, pedagogical strategy for sustainable literacy development.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1909401","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T05:40:23Z","timestamp":1790833223000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["How teacher support shapes reading literacy among urban primary school pupils in China: evidence from achievement emotions and reading self-efficacy"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Xue","family":"Feng","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Marxism, Capital Normal University","place":["Beijing, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wee Hoe","family":"Tan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Social Sciences and Liberal Arts, UCSI University","place":["Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yue","family":"Xiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Future Education, Qingdao Hengxing University of Science and Technology","place":["Qingdao, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dahlia","family":"Janan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Languages and Communication, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris","place":["Tanjong Malim, Malaysia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ghayth Kamel Shaker","family":"Al-Shaibani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Languages, UCSI University","place":["Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.52380\/ijpes.2023.10.1.909","article-title":"Examining the relationship between reading motivation and reading comprehension self-efficacy perception","volume":"10","author":"Bakkaloglu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int. J. Psychol. Educ. Stud."},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"313","DOI":"10.12681\/psy_hps.23964","article-title":"Social cognitive theory: an agentic perspective","volume":"12","author":"Bandura","year":"2005","journal-title":"Psychology"},{"key":"ref3","first-page":"141","volume-title":"Teaching Middle Years: Rethinking Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Assessment","author":"Barton","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"224","DOI":"10.1177\/0890334420906850","article-title":"Sampling methods","volume":"36","author":"Berndt","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Hum. Lact."},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"519","DOI":"10.1080\/00313831.2010.522842","article-title":"Students\u2019 perceptions of teacher support across the transition from primary to secondary school","volume":"54","author":"Bru","year":"2010","journal-title":"Scand. J. Educ. Res."},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1058456","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2023.1058456","article-title":"Learning motivations and effort beliefs in Confucian cultural context: a dual-mode theoretical framework of achievement goal","volume":"14","author":"Chen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"81","DOI":"10.33373\/as.v11i1.2405","article-title":"The correlation between students\u2019 study anxiety and students\u2019 reading comprehension","volume":"11","author":"Dewi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Anglo-Saxon"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"101619","DOI":"10.1016\/j.learninstruc.2022.101619","article-title":"The role of teachers\u2019 instrumental and emotional support in students\u2019 academic buoyancy, engagement, and academic skills: a study of high school and elementary school students in different national contexts","volume":"80","author":"Granziera","year":"2022","journal-title":"Learn. Instr."},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6039","DOI":"10.3390\/su15076039","article-title":"Relationship between perceived teacher support and student engagement in physical education: a systematic review","volume":"15","author":"Guo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sustainability"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-80519-7","volume-title":"Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Using R: A Workbook","author":"Hair","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1007\/s10671-019-09256-3","article-title":"The contribution of reading emotions to reading comprehension: the mediating effect of reading engagement using a structural equation modeling approach","volume":"19","author":"Hamedi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Educ. Res. Policy Prac."},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100201","DOI":"10.1016\/j.amper.2024.100201","article-title":"Literature-based language learning: challenges, and opportunities for English learners","volume":"13","author":"Hossain","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ampersand"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1019","DOI":"10.1037\/edu0000898","article-title":"What are the long-term prospects for children with comprehension weaknesses? A registered report investigating education and employment outcomes","volume":"116","author":"James","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1057\/s41599-024-02634-0","article-title":"Effect of teacher social support on students\u2019 emotions and learning engagement: a US-Chinese classroom investigation","volume":"11","author":"Jia","year":"2024","journal-title":"Human. Soc. Sci. Commun."},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"203","DOI":"10.21449\/ijate.894688","article-title":"Development and validation of a reading self-efficacy scale","volume":"9","author":"Ko\u015far","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. J. Assess. Tools Educ."},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1357936","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2024.1357936","article-title":"The impacts of learning motivation, emotional engagement and psychological capital on academic performance in a blended learning university course","volume":"15","author":"Liu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front. Psychol."},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"661736","DOI":"10.3389\/feduc.2021.661736","article-title":"Creating a supportive classroom environment through effective feedback: effects on students\u2019 school identification and behavioral engagement","volume":"6","author":"Monteiro","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Educ."},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.1007\/s10648-024-09909-7","article-title":"Control-value theory: from achievement emotion to a general theory of human emotions","volume":"36","author":"Pekrun","year":"2024","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol. Rev."},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"36","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cedpsych.2010.10.002","article-title":"Measuring emotions in students\u2019 learning and performance: the achievement emotions questionnaire (AEQ)","volume":"36","author":"Pekrun","year":"2011","journal-title":"Contemp. Educ. Psychol."},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2007","DOI":"10.1007\/s11145-023-10448-w","article-title":"Effects of teacher knowledge of early reading on students\u2019 gains in reading foundational skills and comprehension","volume":"37","author":"Porter","year":"2024","journal-title":"Read. Writ."},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"112","DOI":"10.1186\/s40359-025-02412-w","article-title":"Perceived teacher support and student engagement among higher education students \u2013 a systematic literature review","volume":"13","author":"Prananto","year":"2025","journal-title":"BMC Psychol."},{"key":"ref22","first-page":"37","article-title":"Structured literacy supports all learners: students at-risk of literacy acquisition-dyslexia and english learners","volume":"7","author":"Ray","year":"2020","journal-title":"Texas Assoc. Liter. Educ. Yearbook"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6229","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-031-17299-1_2630","volume-title":"Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research","author":"Ryan","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1111\/ejed.12791","article-title":"Sustainable growth of learner engagement and well-being through social (teacher and peer) support: the mediator role of self-efficacy","volume":"59","author":"Song","year":"2024","journal-title":"Eur. J. Educ."},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"104501","DOI":"10.1016\/j.compedu.2022.104501","article-title":"Teacher beliefs, classroom process quality, and student engagement in the smart classroom learning environment: a multilevel analysis","volume":"183","author":"Wang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Comput. Educ."},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.64152\/10125\/67394","article-title":"Text difficulty in extensive Reading: Reading comprehension and reading motivation","volume":"33","author":"Yang","year":"2021","journal-title":"Read. Foreign Lang."}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1909401\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T05:40:25Z","timestamp":1790833225000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1909401\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]},"references-count":26,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1909401"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyg.2026.1909401","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-1078"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-1078","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]},"article-number":"1909401"}}