Effect of Teacher Support on University Students' Academic Engagement, Classroom Participation, and Academic Stress: Evidence from Public Sector Universities in Pakistan

Abstract

Teacher support is a critical determinant of students' academic success, engagement, and psychological well-being in higher education. However, empirical evidence examining its simultaneous influence on academic engagement, classroom participation, and academic stress in Pakistani universities remains limited. This study investigated the effect of perceived teacher support on university students' academic engagement, classroom participation, and academic stress in public sector universities in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Guided by Self-Determination Theory, the Social Support Framework, and the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, the study employed a quantitative cross-sectional research design. Data were collected from 400 undergraduate and postgraduate students using standardized Likert-scale questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis through IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 26). The regression analysis revealed that perceived teacher support had a significant positive effect on academic engagement (β = 0.697, t = 22.193, p < .001), explaining 55.3% of the variance (R² = .553). Teacher support also demonstrated a significant positive influence on classroom participation (p < .001), indicating that students who perceived greater emotional, informational, appraisal, and instrumental support participated more actively in classroom learning activities. Furthermore, teacher support exhibited a significant negative relationship with academic stress (t = 13.950, p < .001), accounting for 32.8% of the variance (R² = .328), suggesting that supportive teacher–student relationships reduce students' perceived academic stress. The findings support Self-Determination Theory by demonstrating that supportive educational environments satisfy students' psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, thereby promoting positive academic outcomes. The study contributes context-specific evidence from Pakistan and recommends faculty development initiatives and student-centered teaching practices to strengthen teacher support, enhance student engagement, improve classroom participation, and reduce academic stress in higher education.