The Relationship Between Junior High School Students' Perceived Teacher Expectations and Learner Autonomy: A Review of the Mechanism of Action of Hopefulness and Core Self-Evaluations

Abstract

With the deepening of the "learner-centered" concept in the reform of basic education curriculum, the cultivation of junior high school students' learner autonomy has become one of the core issues in educational practice and research. As an important source of social support for junior high school students, teachers’ expectations—when perceived by students—have attracted much attention regarding their impact on learner autonomy and the underlying mechanism. This paper systematically sorts out the conceptual connotations of perceived teacher expectations, learner autonomy, hopefulness, and core self-evaluations, and focuses on reviewing the research progress of the relationships among the four variables: Perceived teacher expectations have a significant positive predictive effect on junior high school students’ learner autonomy; meanwhile, hopefulness and core self-evaluations not only play mediating roles respectively between the two, but also may exert a joint mediating effect through the chain path of "perceived teacher expectations → hopefulness → core self-evaluations → learner autonomy". Based on existing studies, this paper points out the limitations of current research in terms of sample universality, longitudinal research design, and mechanism verification, and puts forward prospects for future research and educational practice, so as to provide a reference for improving the comprehensive literacy of adolescents.