Objective To investigate the difference in the high-school students’ understanding of teachers’ caring behavior

and evaluate its effects on the learning efficacy and academic performance of these students.Methods Based on the method of convenience sampling

a total of 259 high-school sophomores participated in this survey.The Teachers’ Caring Behavior Questionnaire

Learning Efficacy Questionnaire

and Perceived Stress and Motivation Questionnaire were administered;and then

data were collected and statistically analyzed.Results According to the perceived stress and motivation from teachers’ caring behavior

these students were divided into motivation-dominant type（high perceived motivation score

but low perceived stress score）

balanced type（high perceived motivation score

and high perceived stress score）

and stress-dominant type（low perceived motivation score

but high perceived stress score）.The correlation analysis showed that

learning efficacy of balanced type students was positively correlated with both exam results and class rankings（P<0.05）;teachers’ caring behavior was positively correlated with learning efficacy in motivation-dominant type students（P<0.05）;teachers’ caring behavior was positively correlated with both exam results and learning efficacy in balanced type students（P<0.05）.In stress-dominant type students

however

teachers’ caring behavior was not correlated with learning efficacy

exam results or class rankings（P>0.05）.The analysis of mediation effect revealed that

learning efficacy had a complete mediating effect on the prediction of exam results by teachers’ caring behavior;in motivation-dominant type students

teachers’ caring behavior could predict learning efficacy but not exam results;in balanced type students

teachers’ caring behavior could influence exam results via learning efficacy;in stress-dominant type students

teachers’ caring behavior was not predictive of learning efficacy or exam results.Conclusion Although teachers’ caring behavior has an overall positive effect on high-school students

it is important to pay attention to the individual difference among students and their specific understandings of teachers’ caring behavior

reconsider our own education and teaching practice

avoid misunderstandings in teacher-student interactions

and thus transform our caring behavior into motivation for learning and growth for high-school students.