The Impact of Perceived Teacher Emotional Support on Student Learning: A Meta-Analysis

Teacher emotional support (TES) has been widely recognized as an important factor influencing students’ learning and development. However, empirical studies provide inconsistent evidence regarding the strength of the relationship between those two. The present meta-analysis, therefore, synthesized studies published between 2000 and 2025 to estimate the overall association between TES and three key dimensions: academic self-efficacy, student engagement, and academic achievement. Results revealed a significant positive association between TES and student learning. Specifically, TES demonstrated relatively stronger effects on academic self-efficacy (r = 0.463) and engagement (r = 0.456) than on academic achievement (r = 0.259). Moderator analyses further revealed variation by several contextual factors, including educational level and discipline, with strongest associations observed among higher education students and in language-related disciplines. The findings highlight the importance of emotionally supportive teacher–student relationships for the learning process. The meta-analytical results provide important implications for educational practice and policy.