The present study investigates how Content-based Instruction (CBI) fosters multidimensional engagement: emotional, cognitive, and behavioral, among non-English majors at a Chinese tier-2 university. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, it tracked 200 second-year engineering students across five CBI classes via longitudinal questionnaires. Follow-up semi-structured interviews with five instructors and a focus group with ten students, complemented by classroom observations, provided qualitative depth. Findings indicate that CBI significantly enhances student engagement over time when implemented with high-quality authentic materials and a supportive, facilitative teaching style. However, challenges persist: tensions between content and language goals, disparities in students’ English proficiency, and insufficient linguistic scaffolding can hinder equitable participation. Situating these insights within recent engagement theory and Global South CBI/EMI research, the study offers a nuanced understanding of CBI's potential and limitations within the specific context of Chinese tier-2 engineering universities, serving as a case study for similar institutions in emerging economies.
Ding et al. (Fri,) studied this question.
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