Construction and Validation of a Scale to Measure College EFL Students' Perceived Teacher Support

Students' perceived teacher support (SPTS) is considered crucial to students' learning. But most existing SPTS scales were developed for the field of general education, and there is a lack of studies that attempt to develop a tailored scale specifically for the context of EFL learning. This study interviewed 86 Chinese college EFL learners and surveyed 1,089 Chinese non-English majors to develop an SPTS scale specifically for the context of college EFL learning in China. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. The result indicated that SPTS is a tripartite construct consisting of emotional, intellectual, and social support. This study contributes to a better understanding of the unique aspects of language teaching and emphasizes the significance of tailored SPTS scales in different educational settings. The study elucidates the importance of SPTS in college EFL learning, providing guidance for effective teaching practices to enhance students' learning experience. How college students perceive teacher support in English classes: developing and validating a new scaleThis study focuses on understanding how college students learning English as a foreign language perceive support from their teachers. Recognizing that existing scales were mostly designed for general education, the researchers aimed to create a tailored scale for the specific context of English learning in China. Through interviews and surveys with Chinese college students, they identified three main types of support: emotional (care and encouragement), intellectual (guidance on learning strategies), and social (promoting interactions). The study highlights the importance of these supports in enhancing students' learning experiences and provides a reliable tool for measuring teacher support in English language education.