The Impact of Parental and Teacher Emotional Support on Academic Re-Engagement among Junior Secondary School Students in Hong Kong

The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated widespread academic disengagement among students globally, with Hong Kong's junior secondary students facing challenges due to prolonged school closures and intense academic pressure. While emotional support from parents and teachers is recognised as crucial for fostering student engagement, limited research has examined how these support systems interact to influence academic re-engagement in non-Western, high-pressure educational contexts. This study, grounded in Self-Determination Theory, investigates the interplay between parental and teacher emotional support and its effects on students' academic coping strategies and re-engagement behaviours, with socioeconomic status as a moderating factor.
The study adopts a quantitative research paradigm. A multistage stratified sampling design will recruit approximately 300 junior secondary students (Secondary one to three, aged 12–15) from schools in Tuen Mun district, Hong Kong—a demographically representative site. The survey instrument measures parental emotional support (relatedness, autonomy, competence); teacher emotional support (warmth, structure, autonomy support); academic coping strategies; academic re-engagement; and socioeconomic status indicators. Data will be analysed using regression and mediation/moderation modelling to test hypothesised relationships.
This research addresses critical gaps by examining combined support effects within Hong Kong's socio-cultural context, where academic achievement is highly valued and educational pressures are intense. The findings will provide evidence-based insights for educators, parents, and policymakers to develop interventions that enhance student motivational resilience and promote equitable educational outcomes across socioeconomic strata.