Influence of Pedagogical Approaches on Academic Engagement and Satisfaction Among Chinese Mathematic Learner's Contexts

Summary

Here, we present how pedagogical approaches influence Chinese mathematic learners’ academic engagement, and loyalty, with motivation as a mediator. Integrating multiple theoretical frameworks, survey data from 410 mathematic students were analyzed using PLS-SEM. Findings reveal that teaching styles significantly impact motivation, offering implications for mathematic instructional design and teacher development.

Abstract

This study examines the effects of Pedagogical Approaches on mathematic learners’ academic engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty in Chinese mathematic learners’ settings, focusing on the mediating role of motivation at the tertiary level. Unlike previous research that primarily examined direct causal relationships among variables, this investigation integrates multiple theoretical frameworks, including the Teaching Style Inventory, Self-Determination Theory, Student Involvement Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and Customer Satisfaction Theory, to construct a comprehensive research model. Data were collected through surveys distributed to 410 students of mathematic department at public universities, in China, using systematic random sampling, final sample was n = 375. Analysis was performed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS. Results indicate that different teaching styles (Assertive, Suggestive, Collaborative, and Facilitative) significantly influence students’ motivation for language learning at the higher education level. The findings of this investigation hold significant implications for mathematic pedagogy in Chinese higher education. Understanding how specific teaching styles influence student motivation and subsequent engagement can inform instructional design and teacher professional development initiatives.

Introduction

The global prominence of English as a lingua franca has positioned English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instruction as a critical component of higher education in non-native English-speaking contexts¹. In China, the Ministry of Education has consistently emphasized enhancing college English instruction to cultivate internationally competitive graduates capable of engaging with global academic discourse². In Chinese EAP classrooms where mathematic is taught as a subject, instructors' pedagogical approaches play a fundamental role in shaping not only linguistic outcomes but also students' psychological engagement with the l....

Protocol

Ethics statement:

This study adhered to strict ethical guidelines throughout the research process. Formal approval was given by relevant institutional review board of China National Institute of Standardization, with Approval number (202507). This study did not involve any experiments on human beings or on human tissue samples as it only involved anonymous surveys with participants who provided informed consent. No personal or sensitive data was collected, and all responses were treated confidentially for research purposes only. Participation was voluntary, and respondents were informed of the study’s objectives before provi....

Results

Primary analysis

Before hypothesis testing, descriptive statistics were computed to examine the distributional properties of the data and provide an overview of participant characteristics and construct-level responses. This section presents the demographic profile of respondents, assesses potential common method variance bias, and reports the means, standard deviations, and bivariate correlations among the eleven latent constructs included in the study.

Discussion

The present study examined the influence of teaching styles on EFL students' academic engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty, and explored the mediating role of motivation. This study proposes an integrated model linking teaching styles, motivation, academic engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty within Chinese EAP contexts. These findings align with recent studies indicating that student-centered teaching enhances engagement and satisfaction through motivational processes. However, the non-significant relationship bet.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Academic Engagement Scale	Snijders et al. (2019)	N/A	Used to measure absorption, dedication, and vigor using 9 items on a five-point Likert scale.
Daniel Soper Sample Size Calculator	Daniel Soper	N/A	Web-based calculator used to determine the minimum sample size for SEM (effect size=0.3, power=0.9).
Grasha’s Teaching Style Inventory	Grasha (2002)	N/A	Adapted to assess assertive, suggestive, collaborative, and facilitative teaching styles.
Informed Consent Form	Author-developed	N/A	Provided to participants to ensure voluntary participation and confidentiality.
Self-Determination Theory-Based Motivation Scale	Deci and Ryan (2012); adapted from Obiosa (2020)	N/A	Five-item scale measuring student motivation on a five-point Likert scale.
SmartPLS 3	SmartPLS GmbH	SCR_022040	Used for PLS-SEM, including measurement and structural model assessment with 5,000 bootstrap resamples.
SPSS Version 26	IBM	SCR_002865-5	Used for data screening, missing value analysis, outlier detection, and descriptive statistics.
Structured Questionnaire	Author-adapted	N/A	A 55-item structured questionnaire compiled from validated scales.
Student Academic Self-Efficacy Scale	Snijders et al. (2019)	N/A	Five-item scale measuring academic self-efficacy on a five-point Likert scale.
Student Loyalty Scale	Wong et al. (2016)	N/A	Three-item scale measuring student loyalty on a five-point Likert scale.
Student Satisfaction Scale	Obiosa (2020)	N/A	Five-item scale measuring student satisfaction on a five-point Likert scale.