{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T09:07:22Z","timestamp":1789549642534,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789516800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Changsha Municipal Philosophy and Social Science Planning Project","award":["2026CSSKKT11"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2026CSSKKT11"]}]},{"name":"Hunan Provincial Graduate Research Innovation Project","award":["CX2025J0462"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CX2025J0462"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behav. Sci.","Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Foreign language learning engagement (FLLE) is central to sustained classroom involvement, yet little is known about how perceived psychologically controlling teaching (PPCT), foreign language anxiety (FLA), and L2 grit are jointly associated with FLLE among Chinese senior high school students. This study combined structural equation modeling (SEM) and psychological network analysis (PNA) in 285 Chinese EFL learners. SEM tested a moderated indirect association model, whereas PNA estimated conditional associations across FLLE dimensions. PPCT was positively associated with FLA and negatively associated with FLLE, with a significant indirect association through FLA. L2 grit was positively associated with FLLE but did not attenuate the negative association between FLA and FLLE. Instead, the negative association between FLA and FLLE became stronger at higher levels of grit. Dimension-specific sensitivity analyses indicated that this conditional pattern was heterogeneous across engagement dimensions, with the most consistent evidence observed for emotional engagement. PNA revealed selective dimension-level connections among PPCT, FLA, L2 grit, and engagement dimensions, with emotional engagement showing the highest expected influence. These findings suggest that higher L2 grit does not necessarily buffer the negative association between FLA and engagement and highlight the importance of reducing psychologically controlling teaching and anxiety-provoking classroom experiences.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs16091662","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T07:58:59Z","timestamp":1789545539000},"page":"1662","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Perceived Psychologically Controlling Teaching and Foreign Language Learning Engagement: Indirect Associations Through Foreign Language Anxiety and the Moderating Role of L2 Grit"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Xin","family":"Huang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Language and Cognitive Development Lab, School of Foreign Languages, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6948-9508","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yi (Esther)","family":"Su","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Language and Cognitive Development Lab, School of Foreign Languages, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"397","DOI":"10.1016\/j.learninstruc.2005.07.008","article-title":"Directly controlling teacher behaviors as predictors of poor motivation and engagement in girls and boys: The role of anger and anxiety","volume":"15","author":"Assor","year":"2005","journal-title":"Learning and Instruction"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1016\/j.learninstruc.2017.07.006","article-title":"Beware of your teaching style: A school-year long investigation of controlling teaching and student motivational experiences","volume":"53","author":"Bartholomew","year":"2018","journal-title":"Learning and Instruction"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1006","DOI":"10.1093\/applin\/amac018","article-title":"Validating the short-form foreign language classroom anxiety scale","volume":"43","author":"Botes","year":"2022","journal-title":"Applied Linguistics"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Chen, C., and Guo, Z. 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