Teacher support and classroom silence in vocational higher education: a serial mediation analysis through speaking self-efficacy and anxiety

Background Classroom silence is common among vocational undergraduates and may limit students ’ opportunities for interaction, feedback, and classroom participation. However, the psychological pathways linking teacher support to classroom silence remain insufficiently specified in this population. This cross-sectional study tested a theoretically specified serial mediation model in which speaking self-efficacy and speaking anxiety were examined as mechanisms connecting perceived teacher support with classroom silence among Chinese vocational undergraduates. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among vocational undergraduates from eight universities in Hebei Province, China. Data on perceived teacher support, classroom speaking self-efficacy, speaking anxiety, and classroom silence tendency were assessed using self-report scales, and 1,533 valid responses were included after data-quality screening. Structural equation modeling and bias-corrected bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples were used to estimate direct and indirect statistical pathways among these variables. Results Perceived teacher support did not show a significant direct association with classroom silence ( β = 0.101, p = 0.495). Higher perceived teacher support was associated with lower classroom silence through higher speaking self-efficacy ( β = − 0.104, 95% CI [ − 0.132, − 0.077]). In addition, the serial pathway through higher speaking self-efficacy and lower speaking anxiety was significant ( β = − 0.127, 95% CI [ − 0.151, − 0.104]), and the total indirect effect was also significant ( β = − 0.166, 95% CI [ − 0.194, − 0.139]). Mediation analysis further showed a small positive indirect effect through speaking anxiety alone ( β = 0.066, 95% CI [0.043, 0.090]), whereas model fit indices indicated an acceptable fit (NFI = 0.958, SRMR = 0.046). Conclusion Teacher support was associated with lower classroom silence primarily through higher speaking self-efficacy and lower speaking anxiety. Because the study was cross-sectional, the findings should be interpreted as theory-guided associations rather than evidence of causal effects. Interventions that strengthen communicative confidence and address speaking anxiety may help promote classroom participation among vocational undergraduates.