Enhancing Psychological Well-Being through Embodied Bilingual Teaching: The Mediating Role of Basic Psychological Needs and Learning Motivation

Based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Embodied Cognition Theory (ECT), this study explores how teacher support influences the generation mechanism of psychological well-being in 'language + body' dual-channel teaching through basic psychological needs and learning motivation as a chain mediator. Method: This study adopted a mixed-methods approach—primarily quantitative ( N = 518 college students in a bilingual Tai Chi course), the chain mediating effect was verified through the Structural Equation Model (SEM); supplemented by qualitative research (16 semi-structured teachers interviews), three-level coding was conducted for text analysis. Result: 1) Teacher support has a significant positive impact on basic psychological needs (β=0.416), learning motivation (β=0.235), and psychological well-being (β=0.317); 2) Chain mediation: teacher support indirectly and positively affects psychological well-being through basic psychological needs and learning motivation (β = 0.028), with a total mediation effect of 15.47%; 3) Chain effect of embodied interaction: the physical dimension effectively reduces the cognitive load, while the symbolic dimension reinforces the fulfillment of the needs with cultural translations. Conclusion: The first application of "embodied interaction" as a moderating variable in the SDT chain mediation pathway explores how the two dimensions of "physical+symbolic" can enhance the fulfillment of basic psychological needs, and provides an empirical dual-channel pathway for interdisciplinary instructional design.