Effects of Blended Learning on Student Engagement Among University EFL Students in China

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of blended learning on student engagement among university EFL students in China. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, the study involved 106 second-year non-English majors from two intact classes at a public university in Hubei Province. Over 12 weeks, one class (EG) studied through blended learning, while the other class (CG) followed traditional face-to-face instruction. Student engagement was assessed across four dimensions: behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and agentic engagement. Paired-samples t-tests, an independent-samples t-test and MANCOVA were employed to analyze the data. The results showed significant increases in overall student engagement from pretest to posttest in both groups. At posttest, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher student engagement than the control group. After controlling for the pretest scores, MANCOVA revealed a significant multivariate group effect across the four engagement dimensions. Follow-up analyses indicated significantly higher behavioral and agentic engagement in the blended learning group, whereas cognitive and emotional engagement did not differ significantly between the groups. These findings indicate that blended learning can support university EFL students’ engagement, particularly their behavioral participation and proactive contribution to learning.