The impact of student engagement on student satisfaction in an English as the medium of instruction environment at a private university in Vietnam

In recent years, English as a medium of instruction (EMI) has gained increasing popularity, particularly in non-English-speaking countries. However, research on student satisfaction has not been extensively explored, especially in the Vietnamese context, where English is becoming widespread. Therefore, the study aims to examine the effects of different dimensions of student engagement-behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and agentic-on student satisfaction in EMI courses. The study used a mixed-methods approach to data collection, comprising a quantitative survey of 150 undergraduates and semi-structured interviews with 10 students at a private university in Vietnam. The findings revealed that emotional and agentic engagement significantly contributed to student satisfaction, whereas behavioral and cognitive engagement did not. These results highlight the importance of fostering positive emotional experiences and encouraging student initiative in EMI classrooms. Specifically, they emphasize the importance of building a positive EMI environment that encourages student initiative, offering a supportive learning environment, and providing training courses for content teachers to enhance student satisfaction.