Sense of Community as a Bridge between Rapport and Engagement in EFL Classrooms: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Rapport within educational settings plays a pivotal role in fostering student engagement and building a sense of community, particularly in EFL classrooms. This study examines the relationships between teacher-student (T-S) rapport, student-student (S-S) rapport, sense of community, and student engagement among 300 Iranian high school EFL learners across various grade levels. Employing self-reported scales, including the Classroom Community Scale, the T-S and S-S Rapport Scale, and the Engagement Scale, the study employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and mediation analyses to explore direct and indirect effects. Results indicate that both T-S and S-S rapport significantly predict student engagement (β = .34, p < .01; β = .42, p < .001, respectively). Additionally, sense of community mediates the relationships between rapport and engagement, highlighting its critical role in educational outcomes. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) established the validity and reliability of the scales, with strong goodness-of-fit indices (CFI = .98, TLI = .98, RMSEA = .03). The findings underscore the importance of rapport and a cohesive classroom environment in enhancing students' academic, emotional, and social experiences. By integrating these interpersonal components, educators can create supportive, engaging learning environments that promote both individual and collective success. This study contributes to the growing body of literature emphasizing the interplay between rapport, sense of community, and engagement in language learning contexts.