Abstract

This study addresses the growing concern of declining student loyalty in higher education, particularly within the humanities, by examining the role of teacher support as a critical factor. A sample of 407 humanities undergraduates was surveyed. Path-analysis results showed that teacher support significantly boosted study engagement and intrinsic motivation, which in turn enhanced students’ loyalty to their institution. Mediation testing uncovered three significant indirect paths. First, intrinsic motivation bridged the link between teacher support and study engagement (β = .252, SE = .036, p < .05). Second, study engagement transmitted the effect of intrinsic motivation to student loyalty (β = .338, SE = .059, p < .05). Finally, intrinsic motivation followed by study engagement formed a sequential mediation connecting teacher support to student loyalty (β = .126, SE = .0028, p < .05). Results show that when humanities students receive stronger teacher support, they tend to exhibit higher intrinsic motivation and engagement, which ultimately strengthens their loyalty to their university. The findings provide both theoretical and practical implications for academic administrators to foster supportive teacher–student relationships that strengthen loyalty among humanities students.