Can students’ perceived teacher autonomy support promote creativity? A moderated chain mediation model

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine the mechanism by which teachers’ autonomy support influences student creativity. A relationship model comprising five variables—teacher autonomy support, positive emotion, creativity self-efficacy, academic engagement, and creativity—was developed based on the ecosystem theory, self-determination theory, and social cognitive theory. A survey was administered to 637 undergraduate students in China. The study found that teacher autonomy support significantly enhances creativity, with creativity self-efficacy and academic engagement partially mediating the relationship between teacher autonomy support and creativity and producing a chain mediation effect between the two variables. Positive emotions, as a moderating variable, favourably influenced all mediation interactions. The findings extend the explanatory power of three theories on the relationship between teacher autonomy support and creativity, offering fresh insights and theoretical references to foster students’ creative development.