Factors affecting EFL students’ acceptance of blended learning for writing: examining the mediating effect of self-efficacy and writing performance

Despite research on the effects of BL on English writing, there remains a gap in understanding the factors affecting students’ acceptance of blended learning (BL) for English writing, especially examining the mediating roles of self-efficacy and writing performance. In response, the study was designed on Bandura’s social cognitive learning theory and Venkatesh et al.’s unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) and conducted with 148 students studying EFL writing at a university in Vietnam. The findings show that students’ acceptance of BL is influenced mainly by their behavioural intention to use BL, which plays a central role in determining behaviour of BL, far more than by self-efficacy or writing. performance. Additionally, among the core constructs of UTAUT2, performance expectancy and effort expectancy contribute largely to forming attitude to use BL, which mainly predicts behavioural intention to use BL, self-efficacy, and writing performance. Self-efficacy and writing performance also impact the entire model positively, indicating that students with better academic achievements or higher self-efficacy tend to accept BL more. Finally, the validated systems information helps generate crucial discussions and implications on optimally increasing students’ acceptance of BL and appropriately personalising the BL environment for EFL writing.