Effects of online learning climate on students’ engagement and wellbeing: the mediating role of teacher credibility and positive academic emotions

Introduction: Learning engagement and wellbeing are critical determinants of the quality of online education and students' physical and mental health. However, the mechanism that affects online learning engagement and wellbeing is unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the factors influencing learning engagement and wellbeing in an online environment as well as the mechanisms of their interaction. Methods: The study collected data from 343 graduate students at a university in central China and employed partial least squares structural equation modeling for analysis. Results: Online learning climate positively predicted teacher credibility and positive academic emotions, while its direct effects on learning engagement and wellbeing were not significant. Teacher credibility mediated the effect of online learning climate on both learning engagement and wellbeing. While positive academic emotions acted as a mediator in association between online learning climate and learning engagement, no significant mediating effect of positive academic emotions was found for the relationship between online learning climate and wellbeing. In addition, teacher credibility and positive academic emotions sequentially mediated the association between the online learning climate and learning engagement. Discussion: This study highlights teacher credibility as a central mediating mechanism linking online learning climate to student engagement and wellbeing, thereby advancing theoretical understanding of psychological processes in online learning contexts. Practically, it underscores the importance of online teacher professional development in enhancing educators' expertise, trustworthiness, and likeability to foster positive student outcomes.