ABSTRACT Grounded in the control‐value theory (CVT), this study employed a sequential explanatory mixed‐methods design to examine the dynamic longitudinal relationships among achievement emotions (i.e., enjoyment and boredom) and engagement in a small private online course (SPOC)‐based blended English as a foreign language learning context in China. A three‐wave questionnaire survey was administered to 262 non‐English majors, followed by semi‐structured interviews with ten participants who were purposefully selected. Quantitative results revealed partially reciprocal relationships: enjoyment consistently predicted subsequent engagement across both intervals (Time 1 T1→Time 2 T2 and Time 2 T2→Time 3 T3), and engagement at T2 also significantly predicted enjoyment at T3. Boredom did not significantly predict engagement at any interval (with only a marginal effect from T1 to T2), whereas enjoyment and boredom showed reciprocal negative influences from T1 to T2. Qualitative findings identified four key contextual factors, that is, teacher‐related, course‐related, self‐related, and peer‐related, as central to shaping emotional experiences and engagement patterns over time. Together, the results highlight the complex and context‐sensitive nature of emotional and behavioral dynamics in SPOC‐based blended language learning, supporting the applicability of CVT in this instructional setting and offering pedagogical implications for fostering sustained engagement and emotional well‐being in technology‐enhanced L2 instruction.
Li et al. (2026) studied this question.