Exploring the Relationship Among Student Satisfaction, Engagement, and Continuance Intention in English Courses Taught Through English: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Abstract

Nowadays, in this increasingly globalized world, there is a growing demand for people to become proficient in English. In this regard, the Taiwanese government launched a Bilingual 2030 policy, aiming at cultivating Taiwan’s international talents and creating high-quality job opportunities (National Development Council, 2021). In order to fulfill abovementioned visions, one of the strategies is to optimize bilingual conditions for senior high schools and below (National Development Council, 2021). Consequently, bilingual approaches such as Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) and Teaching English Through English (TETE), have been highly implemented in elementary and secondary education in recent years to enhance students’ English language skills and prepare for bilingual higher education. However, little is known about the factors that contribute to students’ willingness to continue taking such courses. Hence, this study intends to explore the relationship among student satisfaction, engagement, and continuance intention to take English courses taught through English by using structural equation modeling (SEM). Data were collected from 120 vocational high school students enrolled in English courses taught through English in the Department of Applied English. SEM was employed to test the hypothesized relationships among the constructs. Preliminary results suggest that satisfaction and engagement have a significant positive impact on students' continuance intention to take English courses taught through English. In addition, engagement was found to mediate the relationship between satisfaction and continuance intention. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for teachers in understanding the factors that influence students' continuance intention in English courses taught through English. Detailed analyses and pedagogical implications will be further discussed in the paper.

Keywords

Teaching English Through English (TETE), Student Satisfaction, Engagement, Continuance Intention, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)