Examining Factors Influencing Technical-Vocational University Students’ Learning Effectiveness of English Proficiency Development in a Blended e-Learning Environment

Abstract

Based upon the perspective of social cognitive theory, this study develops a conceptual framework that examines the antecedents of technical-vocational university students’ active participation and learning effectiveness of English proficiency development in a blended e-learning (BEL) environment. A BEL system was employed to support technical-vocational university students’ English proficiency development. The research model is tested using a questionnaire survey of 298 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the reliability and validity of the measurements. The partial least squares method was used to validate the measurement and hypotheses. The empirical results indicate that e-learning self-efficacy, social influence and BEL system characteristics are the primary antecedents of students’ active participation in a BEL environment. The results also show that e-learning self-efficacy, student active participation and BEL system characteristics saliently affect technical-vocational university students’ learning effectiveness of English proficiency development. The findings signify that technical-vocational university students show positive incline towards the active participation in BEL for English as a foreign language (EFL) courses and exposed a possible benefit of English proficiency development from its use in the long run. The results can not only proffer instrumental suggestions for the critical research issue of e-learning, but also may serve as instrumental guidelines for a BEL environment to be effective implemented with care to avoid the risk to weaken student’s interests and activations in English proficiency development in BEL.