The Effectiveness of Teacher Autonomy Supportive Style on Enhancing Student Engagement in EFL Virtual Classrooms

Abstract

Promoting students’ engagement in classrooms is among the most significant challenges faced by teachers in virtual classrooms. Prior research has investigated the effectiveness of using teacher autonomy supportive style (TASS) during in-person classes (Jang et al., 2010; Li et al., 2020; Núñez & León, 2019; Reeve et al., 2004). However, limited research has been conducted in virtual classrooms (Bedenlier et al., 2020; Chen & Jang, 2010; Chiu & Hew, 2018). Ryan and Deci (2020), suggested that further research should focus on student engagement within virtual classrooms. Moreover, although EFL teachers often struggle to engage their students (Susanti, 2020), the majority of the related studies have been carried out in various learning contexts (Jang et al., 2010; Li et al., 2020; Shih, 2008). Most of this limited body of literature in the EFL context is composed primarily of quantitative research collected through cross-sectional study designs. Evidence suggests that this gap can be addressed by conducting well-designed qualitative studies investigating student engagement (Fredricks et al., 2016; Harris, 2011; Zyngier, 2008). Thus, there is an urgent need for research that tackles these gaps effectively.