English Language Programs (Pre-K to 12) impact on Social and Academic Engagements: The Case of a Philippine University

Abstract

Considering the curricular changes in the Philippines caused by the shift from K to 10 to K to 12, the study determined the impact of the ESL Programs of the old curricula to the university students’ academic and social engagements in a comprehensive university. Evaluating the ESL Programs in the old curriculum would enable curriculum planners and policymakers to determine the need of language programs in the university level. In the study, the characteristics of the students were also investigated as moderators in the engagements. Eight hundred sixty-six (866) university students from various disciplines participated in the research following the framework of Fox, Cheng and Zumbo (2014). Quantitative in nature using the structural equation model (SEM) in analyzing the data, the results showed that the ESL language programs have impact on the academic and social engagements of the students with the learning outcomes as moderators. Anxiety, as one of the student characteristics, played significantly in moderating the course outcomes and the engagements. Students perceive the programs to have more impact on their academic engagement than their social engagement. Implications for the inclusion of the English language programs in the university level are upheld.