REVEALING EFL STUDENTS' LEARNING ENGAGEMENT IN A VIRTUAL SPEAKING CLASSROOM
Abstract
Technology has made it possible for education to occur without boundaries, thus virtual learning has become a common mode in the realm of English language teaching. This study aimed to investigate EFL students’ learning engagement in a virtual speaking classroom, highlighting four aspects of learning engagement: behavioural engagement, cognitive engagement, emotional engagement, and agentic engagement. A phenomenological case study was employed with four EFL students enrolling in a virtual speaking classroom as participants to gain rich data collection. Non-participant observations and multiple in-depth interviews were conducted to collect the data, followed by a thematic analysis of the data. The findings revealed that behaviour, cognitive, and agentic engagement in the EFL virtual speaking classroom were identified, yet emotional engagement and positive emotion were missing. Accordingly, more studies on learning engagement associated with other variables and different settings are recommended for future researchers
References
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Castro, S., Granlund, M., & Almqvist, L. (2017). The relationship between classroom quality-related variables and engagement levels in Swedish preschool classrooms: a longitudinal study. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 25(1), 122–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2015.1102413
Ceren Çelik, Ö., & Alpan, G. (2023). OPEN ACCESS The Impact of an Effective Communication Course with Enhanced Student Engagement on Communication Skills and Empathic Tendency of Preservice Teachers. Educational Process: International Journal, 12(2), 33–58. https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2023.122.3
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design Qualitatie, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th Edition). Sage.
Danesh, A., Bailey, A., & Whisenand, T. (2015). Technology and Instructor-Interface Interaction in Distance Education. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 6(2), 39–47. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320335540_Technology_and_Instructor-Interface_Interaction_in_Distance_Education
Ferrer, J., Ringer, A., Saville, K., A Parris, M., & Kashi, K. (2022). Students’ motivation and engagement in higher education: the importance of attitude to online learning. Higher Education, 83(2), 317–338. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10734-020-00657-5
Fredricks, J. A., Filsecker, M., & Lawson, M. A. (2016). Student engagement, Context, And adjustment: Addressing definitional, Measurement, And methodological issues. Learning and Instruction, 43, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.02.002
Goyal, M., & Krishnamurthy, R. (2018). Optimizing Student Engagement in Online Learning Environments: Intuitionistic Fuzzy Logic in Student Modeling. In M. Khosrow (Ed.), https://services.igi-global.com/resolvedoi/resolve.aspx?doi=10.4018/978-1-5225-5643-5.ch026 (pp. 671–702). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-5643-5.CH026
Hamouda, A. (2020). International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation (IJLLT) The Effect of Virtual classes on Saudi EFL Students’ Speaking Skills ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 3(4), 175–204. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijllt
Heflin, H., & Macaluso, S. (2021). Student Initiative Empowers Engagement for Learning Online. Online Learning Journal, 25(3), 230–248. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i3.2414
Jezzini-Martinez, S., Martinez-Garza, J. H., Quiroga-Garza, A., Zarate-Garza, P. P., Jacobo-Baca, G., O, J. G.-D. la, Fuente-Villarreal, D. de la, Salinas-Alvarez, Y., Elizondo-Omaña, R. E., & Guzman-Lopez, S. (2022). Burnout Among First-Year Medical Students During COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Medical Students, 10(2), 180–184. https://doi.org/10.5195/IJMS.2022.1129
Krauss, S., Wong, E. J. Y., Zeldin, S., Kunasegaran, M., Nga Lay Hui, J., Ma’arof, A. M., Yee Mei Tien, W., & Ismail, I. A. (2024). Positive School Climate and Emotional Engagement: A Mixed Methods Study of Chinese Students as Ethnocultural Minorities in Malaysian Secondary Schools. Journal of Adolescent Research, 39(5), 1154–1192. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584221107431
Lei, H., Cui, Y., & Zhou, W. (2018). Relationships between student engagement and academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Social Behavior and Personality, 46(3), 517–528. https://doi.org/10.2224/SBP.7054
Montenegro, A. (2017). Understanding the Concept of Student Agentic Engagement for Learning. Linguistics Journal, 19(1), 117–128. https://doi.org/10.14483/calj.v19n1.10472
Mulia, D. R., & Emaliana, I. (2021). EXPLORING EFL STUDENTS’ LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THEIR ONLINE LEARNING ENGAGEMENTS AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC. ELTR Journal, 5(2), 130–142. https://doi.org/10.37147/ELTR.V5I2.122
Ngoc Kim Tuyen, P., Ngoc Phuong Trang, H., Vo Minh Quan, T., Nguyen Nhat Phuong, P., Hoang Tin, H., & Le Hoang Khang, N. (2024). EFL Students’ Perceptions of E-learning Tools’ Effects on Students’ Engagement in English Speaking Skill Online Classes. AsiaCALL Online Journal, 15(1), 34–54. https://doi.org/10.54855/ACOJ.241513
Omona, K. (2022). Addressing Virtual Learning Challenges in Higher Institutions of Learning: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Journal of STEAM Education, 5(2), 104–116. https://doi.org/10.55290/STEAM.1076766
Philp, J., & Duchesne, S. (2016). Exploring Engagement in Tasks in the Language Classroom. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 36, 50–72. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190515000094
Pontual Falcão, T., Mendes de Andrade e Peres, F., Sales de Morais, D. C., & da Silva Oliveira, G. (2018). Participatory methodologies to promote student engagement in the development of educational digital games. Computers and Education, 116, 161–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COMPEDU.2017.09.006
Reeve, J. (2013). How students create motivationally supportive learning environments for themselves: The concept of agentic engagement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(3), 579–595. https://doi.org/10.1037/A0032690
Reeve, J., Geetanjali Basarkod, ·, Jang, H.-R., Gargurevich, R., Jang, · Hyungshim, Sung, ·, & Cheon, H. (2025). Specialized Purpose of Each Type of Student Engagement: A Meta-Analysis. 37, 13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-09989-z
Reeve, J., & Lee, W. (2014). Students’ classroom engagement produces longitudinal changes in classroom motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106(2), 527–540. https://doi.org/10.1037/A0034934
Reeve, J., & Tseng, C. M. (2011). Agency as a fourth aspect of students’ engagement during learning activities. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36(4), 257–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CEDPSYCH.2011.05.002
Robillos, R. J. (2023). Improving Students’ Speaking Performance and Communication Engagement through Technology-Mediated Pedagogical Approach. International Journal of Instruction, 16(1), 551–572. https://e-iji.net/ats/index.php/pub/article/view/211
Salim, N. R., Gopal, K., & Ayub, A. F. M. (2018). The influence of statistics self-efficacy towards statistics engagement among undergraduate students. AIP Conference Proceedings, 1974. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5041705
Sardabi, N., Ghajarieh, A., Atar Sharghi, N., & Rahmani, L. (2025). Perceptions on Oral Corrective Feedback: The Case of Iranian EFL Teachers and Students in Face-to-Face and Virtual Learning Contexts. Journal of Teaching and Learning, 19(1), 5–24. https://doi.org/10.22329/JTL.V19I1.8905
Scherer, R., Henschel, S., Minnaert, A., Shernoff, D. J., Shernof, D. J., Ruzek, E. A., Sannella, A. J., Schorr, R. Y., Sanchez-Wall, L., & Bressler, D. M. (2017). Student Engagement as a General Factor of Classroom Experience: Associations with Student Practices and Educational Outcomes in a University Gateway Course. Frontiers in Psychology | Www.Frontiersin.Org, 1, 994. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00994
Sinatra, G. M., Heddy, B. C., & Lombardi, D. (2015). The Challenges of Defining and Measuring Student Engagement in Science. Educational Psychologist, 50(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2014.1002924
Thi, N., & Ha, T. (2021). Implementing Digital Techniques to Stimulate EFL Students’ Engagement: A Case Study in Vietnam. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 1(3), 105–129. https://doi.org/10.11250/ijte.01.03.007
Vargas-Bianchi, L. (2025). Pattern matching analysis: Overview of its rationale and application in qualitative research. Research Note Methodological Innovations, 18(1), 66–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/20597991251325451
Veiga, F. H. (2016). Assessing Student Engagement in School: Development and Validation of a Four-dimensional Scale. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 217, 813–819. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SBSPRO.2016.02.153
Wakefield, C. R. (2016). Agentic Engagement, Teacher Support, and Classmate Relatedness— A Reciprocal Path to Student Achievement. UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. https://doi.org/10.34917/9112205
Wang, Y., Derakhshan, A., & Zhang, L. J. (2021). Researching and Practicing Positive Psychology in Second/Foreign Language Learning and Teaching: The Past, Current Status and Future Directions. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.731721
Widiastuti, T., Mafulah, O. S., Puspitasari, S., & Holland, Y. (2023). Online Feedback in Integrative Blogging: Cultivating Students’ Writing Performance and Learning Engagement. Journal of English Education and Linguistics Studies, 2, 263–283. https://doi.org/10.30762/jeels.v10i2
Yin, R. K. (2014). Case Study Research Design and Methods (5th ed.). In Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CS: SAGE. https://doi.org/10.3138/CJPE.30.1.108
Anjarwati, R., & Sa’adah, L. (2021). Student learning engagement in the online class. EnJourMe (English Journal of Merdeka) : Culture, Language, and Teaching of English, 6(2), 104–114. https://doi.org/10.26905/ENJOURME.V6I2.6128
Bond, M., & Bedenlier, S. (2019). Facilitating student engagement through educational technology: Towards a conceptual framework. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2019(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/JIME.528
Castro, S., Granlund, M., & Almqvist, L. (2017). The relationship between classroom quality-related variables and engagement levels in Swedish preschool classrooms: a longitudinal study. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 25(1), 122–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2015.1102413
Ceren Çelik, Ö., & Alpan, G. (2023). OPEN ACCESS The Impact of an Effective Communication Course with Enhanced Student Engagement on Communication Skills and Empathic Tendency of Preservice Teachers. Educational Process: International Journal, 12(2), 33–58. https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2023.122.3
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research Design Qualitatie, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th Edition). Sage.
Danesh, A., Bailey, A., & Whisenand, T. (2015). Technology and Instructor-Interface Interaction in Distance Education. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 6(2), 39–47. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320335540_Technology_and_Instructor-Interface_Interaction_in_Distance_Education
Ferrer, J., Ringer, A., Saville, K., A Parris, M., & Kashi, K. (2022). Students’ motivation and engagement in higher education: the importance of attitude to online learning. Higher Education, 83(2), 317–338. https://doi.org/10.1007/S10734-020-00657-5
Fredricks, J. A., Filsecker, M., & Lawson, M. A. (2016). Student engagement, Context, And adjustment: Addressing definitional, Measurement, And methodological issues. Learning and Instruction, 43, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.02.002
Goyal, M., & Krishnamurthy, R. (2018). Optimizing Student Engagement in Online Learning Environments: Intuitionistic Fuzzy Logic in Student Modeling. In M. Khosrow (Ed.), https://services.igi-global.com/resolvedoi/resolve.aspx?doi=10.4018/978-1-5225-5643-5.ch026 (pp. 671–702). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-5643-5.CH026
Hamouda, A. (2020). International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation (IJLLT) The Effect of Virtual classes on Saudi EFL Students’ Speaking Skills ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 3(4), 175–204. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijllt
Heflin, H., & Macaluso, S. (2021). Student Initiative Empowers Engagement for Learning Online. Online Learning Journal, 25(3), 230–248. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v25i3.2414
Jezzini-Martinez, S., Martinez-Garza, J. H., Quiroga-Garza, A., Zarate-Garza, P. P., Jacobo-Baca, G., O, J. G.-D. la, Fuente-Villarreal, D. de la, Salinas-Alvarez, Y., Elizondo-Omaña, R. E., & Guzman-Lopez, S. (2022). Burnout Among First-Year Medical Students During COVID-19 Pandemic in Mexico: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Medical Students, 10(2), 180–184. https://doi.org/10.5195/IJMS.2022.1129
Krauss, S., Wong, E. J. Y., Zeldin, S., Kunasegaran, M., Nga Lay Hui, J., Ma’arof, A. M., Yee Mei Tien, W., & Ismail, I. A. (2024). Positive School Climate and Emotional Engagement: A Mixed Methods Study of Chinese Students as Ethnocultural Minorities in Malaysian Secondary Schools. Journal of Adolescent Research, 39(5), 1154–1192. https://doi.org/10.1177/07435584221107431
Lei, H., Cui, Y., & Zhou, W. (2018). Relationships between student engagement and academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Social Behavior and Personality, 46(3), 517–528. https://doi.org/10.2224/SBP.7054
Montenegro, A. (2017). Understanding the Concept of Student Agentic Engagement for Learning. Linguistics Journal, 19(1), 117–128. https://doi.org/10.14483/calj.v19n1.10472
Mulia, D. R., & Emaliana, I. (2021). EXPLORING EFL STUDENTS’ LEARNING STRATEGIES AND THEIR ONLINE LEARNING ENGAGEMENTS AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC. ELTR Journal, 5(2), 130–142. https://doi.org/10.37147/ELTR.V5I2.122
Ngoc Kim Tuyen, P., Ngoc Phuong Trang, H., Vo Minh Quan, T., Nguyen Nhat Phuong, P., Hoang Tin, H., & Le Hoang Khang, N. (2024). EFL Students’ Perceptions of E-learning Tools’ Effects on Students’ Engagement in English Speaking Skill Online Classes. AsiaCALL Online Journal, 15(1), 34–54. https://doi.org/10.54855/ACOJ.241513
Omona, K. (2022). Addressing Virtual Learning Challenges in Higher Institutions of Learning: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Journal of STEAM Education, 5(2), 104–116. https://doi.org/10.55290/STEAM.1076766
Philp, J., & Duchesne, S. (2016). Exploring Engagement in Tasks in the Language Classroom. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 36, 50–72. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0267190515000094
Pontual Falcão, T., Mendes de Andrade e Peres, F., Sales de Morais, D. C., & da Silva Oliveira, G. (2018). Participatory methodologies to promote student engagement in the development of educational digital games. Computers and Education, 116, 161–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COMPEDU.2017.09.006
Reeve, J. (2013). How students create motivationally supportive learning environments for themselves: The concept of agentic engagement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(3), 579–595. https://doi.org/10.1037/A0032690
Reeve, J., Geetanjali Basarkod, ·, Jang, H.-R., Gargurevich, R., Jang, · Hyungshim, Sung, ·, & Cheon, H. (2025). Specialized Purpose of Each Type of Student Engagement: A Meta-Analysis. 37, 13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-09989-z
Reeve, J., & Lee, W. (2014). Students’ classroom engagement produces longitudinal changes in classroom motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106(2), 527–540. https://doi.org/10.1037/A0034934
Reeve, J., & Tseng, C. M. (2011). Agency as a fourth aspect of students’ engagement during learning activities. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36(4), 257–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CEDPSYCH.2011.05.002
Robillos, R. J. (2023). Improving Students’ Speaking Performance and Communication Engagement through Technology-Mediated Pedagogical Approach. International Journal of Instruction, 16(1), 551–572. https://e-iji.net/ats/index.php/pub/article/view/211
Salim, N. R., Gopal, K., & Ayub, A. F. M. (2018). The influence of statistics self-efficacy towards statistics engagement among undergraduate students. AIP Conference Proceedings, 1974. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5041705
Sardabi, N., Ghajarieh, A., Atar Sharghi, N., & Rahmani, L. (2025). Perceptions on Oral Corrective Feedback: The Case of Iranian EFL Teachers and Students in Face-to-Face and Virtual Learning Contexts. Journal of Teaching and Learning, 19(1), 5–24. https://doi.org/10.22329/JTL.V19I1.8905
Scherer, R., Henschel, S., Minnaert, A., Shernoff, D. J., Shernof, D. J., Ruzek, E. A., Sannella, A. J., Schorr, R. Y., Sanchez-Wall, L., & Bressler, D. M. (2017). Student Engagement as a General Factor of Classroom Experience: Associations with Student Practices and Educational Outcomes in a University Gateway Course. Frontiers in Psychology | Www.Frontiersin.Org, 1, 994. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00994
Sinatra, G. M., Heddy, B. C., & Lombardi, D. (2015). The Challenges of Defining and Measuring Student Engagement in Science. Educational Psychologist, 50(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2014.1002924
Thi, N., & Ha, T. (2021). Implementing Digital Techniques to Stimulate EFL Students’ Engagement: A Case Study in Vietnam. International Journal of TESOL & Education, 1(3), 105–129. https://doi.org/10.11250/ijte.01.03.007
Vargas-Bianchi, L. (2025). Pattern matching analysis: Overview of its rationale and application in qualitative research. Research Note Methodological Innovations, 18(1), 66–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/20597991251325451
Veiga, F. H. (2016). Assessing Student Engagement in School: Development and Validation of a Four-dimensional Scale. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 217, 813–819. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.SBSPRO.2016.02.153
Wakefield, C. R. (2016). Agentic Engagement, Teacher Support, and Classmate Relatedness— A Reciprocal Path to Student Achievement. UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. https://doi.org/10.34917/9112205
Wang, Y., Derakhshan, A., & Zhang, L. J. (2021). Researching and Practicing Positive Psychology in Second/Foreign Language Learning and Teaching: The Past, Current Status and Future Directions. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.731721
Widiastuti, T., Mafulah, O. S., Puspitasari, S., & Holland, Y. (2023). Online Feedback in Integrative Blogging: Cultivating Students’ Writing Performance and Learning Engagement. Journal of English Education and Linguistics Studies, 2, 263–283. https://doi.org/10.30762/jeels.v10i2
Yin, R. K. (2014). Case Study Research Design and Methods (5th ed.). In Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CS: SAGE. https://doi.org/10.3138/CJPE.30.1.108
Published
2025-07-05
How to Cite
LESTARI, Erma Rahayu.
REVEALING EFL STUDENTS' LEARNING ENGAGEMENT IN A VIRTUAL SPEAKING CLASSROOM.
Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris Proficiency, [S.l.], v. 7, n. 2, p. 237-254, july 2025.
ISSN 2775-0450.
Available at: <https://ejournal.uniska-kediri.ac.id/index.php/PROFICIENCY/article/view/7359>. Date accessed: 05 july 2025.
doi: https://doi.org/10.32503/proficiency.v7i2.7359.
Section
Articles
