Engaging learners in Blended learning: Confirmatory factor analysis and bootstrap approaches

Abstract

Student engagement is vital for positive learning outcomes, but methods to engage learners hinge on specific contextual and individual factors. This study, grounded in social cognitive theory, investigated mainland Chinese learners’ engagement in blended English courses and examined the influence of blended learning environment comprising institutional adoption, teaching competence, technology quality, course content and learning community culture, motivational beliefs (a system of selfefficacy, interest, and causal attribution), and adaptability to blended mode on their engagement. Four hundred and fifty-nine valid questionnaires from undergraduate students enrolled in English courses were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicated that blended learning environment, motivational beliefs, and adaptability positively and significantly influenced student engagement. Bootstrap analysis further demonstrated that motivational beliefs and adaptability partially mediate the influence of blended learning environment on student engagement. Overall, the empirical findings from mainland Chinese learners’ English learning via blended modes add richness and depth to the literature on blended learning by highlighting the contextual and individual factors that shape student engagement and offer the stakeholders of blended English learning insights into the efficient use of technology in language teaching and the sustainability of blended education.