University students’ engagement in higher education EFL instructional environments: a mixed-methods quasi-experimental study

In an era branded by Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and high-tech advancements, the shift to distance education has significantly influenced learner engagement, mainly in English as foreign language (EFL) instructional contexts. In online and offline learning environments, skills engagement (SE), emotional engagement (EE), participation/interaction engagement (PIE) and performance engagement (PE) are essential constructs of successful academic outcomes. The present mixed-methods quasi-experimental research examined the role of online and offline teaching formats on learners’ SE, EE, PIE and PE. The study involved 824 Moroccan university EFL learners. Running Paired samples t-tests, One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) revealed statistically significant effects on offline learners rather than on online learners. The study suggests that the major EFL stakeholders should foster supportive learning environments wherein engagement-promoting instructional practices are prevalent, developing accommodated teaching mechanisms that suit distant learners’ needs and nurture effective virtual learning success.