IntroductionThis study examines the association between teacher emotional display and students’ academic risk-taking behavior, focusing on the mediating role of classroom climate and the moderating role of student emotional intelligence.MethodsData were collected from 419 undergraduate students nested within 68 classrooms at Chinese universities using a three-wave, time-lagged design. Multilevel structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized relationships.ResultsTeacher emotional display was positively associated with academic risk-taking behavior both directly and indirectly through classroom climate. The relationship between classroom climate and academic risk-taking was stronger among students with higher emotional intelligence. Moreover, the indirect effect of teacher emotional display on academic risk-taking through classroom climate was more pronounced at higher levels of emotional intelligence, supporting a moderated mediation model.DiscussionThe findings integrate emotional, environmental, and individual factors into a multilevel framework of academic risk-taking. They highlight the importance of emotionally expressive teaching, supportive classroom climates, and students’ emotional intelligence in fostering adaptive learning behaviors.