["European Journal of Education, Volume 61, Issue 2, June 2026. ", "\nABSTRACT\nClassroom engagement has become an important issue in higher education because it is closely related to students' academic development and learning quality. However, the ways in which relational and motivational factors jointly shape classroom engagement remain underexplored. This study examined how teacher‐student rapport and basic psychological needs satisfaction were associated with classroom engagement among Chinese university students, with task value and academic resilience as mediators. Using survey data from 808 undergraduate students in China, the study employed structural equation modelling to test the proposed relationships among the variables. The results indicated that teacher‐student rapport and basic psychological needs satisfaction both had significant positive direct effects on classroom engagement. Moreover, task value and academic resilience significantly mediated the effects of teacher‐student rapport and basic psychological needs satisfaction on classroom engagement. These findings suggest that classroom engagement is influenced by classroom relationships, motivational beliefs and students' academic resilience. The study extends existing research by integrating these factors into one structural model and offers useful implications for promoting student engagement in higher education.\n"]