Self-Perceived vs. Actual Online Engagement: Relationships with Academic Achievement Among Chinese Undergraduate English Learners in a Blended Learning Environment

Abstract

This study, motivated by the growing integration of digital platforms in higher education, explores the relationships between Chinese undergraduate English learners' online engagement and academic achievement in a blended learning environment. Adopting a quantitative research design, the study involved 138 participants enrolled in an advanced English writing course, delivered through a blended learning approach. Data were collected using an adapted version of the Online Engagement Scale (OES) survey, assessing four constructs: Behavioral Engagement (BE), Cognitive Engagement (CE), Emotional Engagement (EE), and Social Engagement (SE). The study found that learners perceived higher levels of BE and CE compared to EE and SE. Analysis of actual behavioral online engagement revealed significant time spent on tasks, high task completion rates, and strong task performance. Significant correlations were found between BE and CE with total engagement time (TET) and task completion rates (TCR), while EE showed a correlation only with TET. SE did not correlate with any dimension of actual engagement. Despite these correlations, only task engagement scores (TES) significantly predicted academic achievement, with BE, CE, EE, and SE not predicting academic success. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of engagement in blended learning contexts, emphasizing that fostering task engagement, particularly task completion and performance, may enhance academic outcomes in such environments.