From technological confidence to learning satisfaction in English LMOOCs: The mediating roles of intrinsic motivation and perceived usefulness

Authors

  • Siyan Chen School of Education, Shanghai International Studies University, China
  • Wei Xu School of Education, Shanghai International Studies University, China

Keywords:

application-specific computer self-efficacy, English LMOOCs, online learning satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, perceived usefulness, Chinese EFL learners

Abstract

The advent of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) has transformed language education, yet high attrition rates persist in Language MOOCs (LMOOCs). This study investigates how platform-specific operational confidence, operationalized as application-specific computer self-efficacy (ACS), relates to online learning satisfaction (OLS) among a subgroup of Chinese EFL undergraduates, with intrinsic motivation (IM) and perceived usefulness (PU) specified as theoretically proposed mediators. Data from 151 learners in an English LMOOC were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicated statistically significant associations among ACS, IM, PU, and OLS, and significant mediating effects of IM and PU. However, discriminant validity was not fully established for several construct pairs, particularly ACS-PU and PU-OLS; therefore, pathway-specific interpretations are treated as tentative rather than confirmatory. The study offers exploratory evidence relevant to the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), self-determination theory (SDT), and self-efficacy theory in English LMOOCs, and suggests cautiously bounded implications for digital language pedagogy among comparable Asian EFL learner populations.

Author Biographies

  • Siyan Chen, School of Education, Shanghai International Studies University, China

    Siyan Chen is a postgraduate student at Shanghai International Studies University, China. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Her research interests include learning motivation and technology-enhanced foreign language teaching. Her recent work focuses on Chinese college students’ perception and evaluation of their learning experiences in English LMOOCs.

    Email: kyler0108@163.com

  • Wei Xu, School of Education, Shanghai International Studies University, China

    Wei Xu is an Associate Professor in Education at Shanghai International Studies University, China. She holds a Doctor’s degree in Language Arts and Literacy. Her research interests include EFL reading and writing instruction, assessment as learning, concept mapping, metacognition, and classroom-based pedagogical research. Her recent work focuses on alternative assessment practices and metacognitive learning strategies in university-level EFL contexts.

    Email: wei_xu@shisu.edu.cn

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Published

2026-06-24

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 3 (2026): The Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics

Section

Articles

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How to Cite

From technological confidence to learning satisfaction in English LMOOCs: The mediating roles of intrinsic motivation and perceived usefulness. (2026). The Asian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 10(3), 1377. https://caes.hku.hk/ajal/index.php/ajal/article/view/1377

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