The impact of digital technology use on EFL students’ English academic performance: The mediating roles of emotional intelligence and learning engagement
Abstract Background For English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, English academic performance serves as a key determinant of their educational attainment and psychological well-being. While previous studies have pinpointed digital technology use, emotional intelligence, and learning engagement...
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BMC
2025-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02967-8 |
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| author | Yanhong Shao Jingtao Wu Yan Li Quan Lu Zunyang Wang |
| author_facet | Yanhong Shao Jingtao Wu Yan Li Quan Lu Zunyang Wang |
| author_sort | Yanhong Shao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background For English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, English academic performance serves as a key determinant of their educational attainment and psychological well-being. While previous studies have pinpointed digital technology use, emotional intelligence, and learning engagement as key determinants of English academic performance, the specific mechanisms through which digital technology use impacts EFL students’ English academic performance via emotional intelligence and learning engagement remain underexplored. Methods This study employed random sampling to investigate how digital technology use affects the academic performance of EFL students, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of emotional intelligence and learning engagement. We administered a survey to 931 EFL students (Mean = 17.52, SD = 0.531) in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, utilizing questionnaires that assessed digital technology use, emotional intelligence, and learning engagement. The relationships between these variables and academic performance were examined using structural equation modeling. Results The study revealed that: (1) Digital technology use has a positive and direct effect on the English academic performance of EFL students (p < 0.01); (2) Emotional intelligence mediates the relationship between digital technology use and English academic performance, with an indirect effect of 0.252 (95% CI [0.048, 0.600]); (3) Learning engagement mediates the relationship between digital technology use and English academic performance, with an indirect effect of 0.712 (95% CI [0.215, 1.252]); (4) Emotional intelligence and learning engagement jointly play a serial role in the relationship between digital technology use and English academic performance, with an indirect effect of 0.075 ( 95% CI [0.011, 0.231]). Conclusion The findings provide empirical support for a more nuanced understanding of how digital technology can enhance the English academic performance of EFL students by shaping their emotional intelligence and learning engagement. Moreover, the findings suggest EFL educators can enhance students’ English academic performance by strategically incorporating emotion-regulation training through mindfulness exercises while implementing interactive digital tasks like collaborative projects, thereby leveraging the dual mediating effects of emotional intelligence and learning engagement in technology-enhanced learning environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4dc89a7039b345db9b102ff0350cb5ba |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2050-7283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-4dc89a7039b345db9b102ff0350cb5ba2025-08-20T03:45:39ZengBMCBMC Psychology2050-72832025-07-0113111310.1186/s40359-025-02967-8The impact of digital technology use on EFL students’ English academic performance: The mediating roles of emotional intelligence and learning engagementYanhong Shao0Jingtao Wu1Yan Li2Quan Lu3Zunyang Wang4Xiangshui Teacher Development CenterSchool of Physical Education, Leshan Normal UniversityCollege of Foreign Languages, Taizhou UniversityCollege of Economics and Management, Tarim UniversitySchool of Finance and Taxation, Southwestern University of Finance and EconomicsAbstract Background For English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, English academic performance serves as a key determinant of their educational attainment and psychological well-being. While previous studies have pinpointed digital technology use, emotional intelligence, and learning engagement as key determinants of English academic performance, the specific mechanisms through which digital technology use impacts EFL students’ English academic performance via emotional intelligence and learning engagement remain underexplored. Methods This study employed random sampling to investigate how digital technology use affects the academic performance of EFL students, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of emotional intelligence and learning engagement. We administered a survey to 931 EFL students (Mean = 17.52, SD = 0.531) in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, utilizing questionnaires that assessed digital technology use, emotional intelligence, and learning engagement. The relationships between these variables and academic performance were examined using structural equation modeling. Results The study revealed that: (1) Digital technology use has a positive and direct effect on the English academic performance of EFL students (p < 0.01); (2) Emotional intelligence mediates the relationship between digital technology use and English academic performance, with an indirect effect of 0.252 (95% CI [0.048, 0.600]); (3) Learning engagement mediates the relationship between digital technology use and English academic performance, with an indirect effect of 0.712 (95% CI [0.215, 1.252]); (4) Emotional intelligence and learning engagement jointly play a serial role in the relationship between digital technology use and English academic performance, with an indirect effect of 0.075 ( 95% CI [0.011, 0.231]). Conclusion The findings provide empirical support for a more nuanced understanding of how digital technology can enhance the English academic performance of EFL students by shaping their emotional intelligence and learning engagement. Moreover, the findings suggest EFL educators can enhance students’ English academic performance by strategically incorporating emotion-regulation training through mindfulness exercises while implementing interactive digital tasks like collaborative projects, thereby leveraging the dual mediating effects of emotional intelligence and learning engagement in technology-enhanced learning environments.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02967-8Digital technology useEmotional intelligenceLearning engagementEnglish academic performanceEFL students |
| spellingShingle | Yanhong Shao Jingtao Wu Yan Li Quan Lu Zunyang Wang The impact of digital technology use on EFL students’ English academic performance: The mediating roles of emotional intelligence and learning engagement BMC Psychology Digital technology use Emotional intelligence Learning engagement English academic performance EFL students |
| title | The impact of digital technology use on EFL students’ English academic performance: The mediating roles of emotional intelligence and learning engagement |
| title_full | The impact of digital technology use on EFL students’ English academic performance: The mediating roles of emotional intelligence and learning engagement |
| title_fullStr | The impact of digital technology use on EFL students’ English academic performance: The mediating roles of emotional intelligence and learning engagement |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of digital technology use on EFL students’ English academic performance: The mediating roles of emotional intelligence and learning engagement |
| title_short | The impact of digital technology use on EFL students’ English academic performance: The mediating roles of emotional intelligence and learning engagement |
| title_sort | impact of digital technology use on efl students english academic performance the mediating roles of emotional intelligence and learning engagement |
| topic | Digital technology use Emotional intelligence Learning engagement English academic performance EFL students |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02967-8 |
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