Students' emotional engagement in online classes: a conceptual framework

Abstract

PurposeIn this paper the authors have sought to create solid connection between theory and practices pertaining to the immense value of students' emotional engagement in online instruction. This conceptual paper is motivated by the inadequacy of literature translating the emotional engagement concept to the micro level of online instructions within the upsurge intention to the new trend of online teaching-learning. This paper aims to contribute by addressing the fundamental issues of emotional engagement starting from revisiting the roles of teachers in students' emotional engagement, reviewing and underscoring the importance of students' emotional engagement in higher education and finally conceptualizing and framing how to infuse emotional engagement into the instructions.Design/methodology/approachThe explanation of how to advocate for students' emotional engagement in online learning praxis is inadequately discussed although the library of literature has informed the fundamental role of students' emotional engagement in establishing successful online learning. This paper aims to address this practical need by interactively connecting the theory, empirical findings and pedagogical practices in the area to provide praxeological contribution to the development of quality online teaching-learning practices.FindingsThis study presents a framework that advances the existing body of research at the juncture of emotional engagement and online learning. This conceptual paper foregrounds an examination of the roles of teachers in students' emotional engagement and underscores the significance of students' emotional engagement in higher education. Moreover, it proposes a conceptual framework delineating effective strategies for the integration of emotional engagement within instructional methodologies. This framework comprises four key aspects: (1) fostering students' learning autonomy and ownership, (2) establishing socioemotional construction through verbal and non-verbal expressions, (3) integrating a multimodal approach to online learning and (4) honing the art of constructive feedback.Research limitations/implicationsThis conceptual paper is rooted in a nested theory and draws upon empirical studies. While the presented framework holds promise, its efficacy in the classroom setting requires validation through further empirical investigation.Practical implicationsThose proposed pedagogical strategies detailed with the practical examples explained in the previous part would afford students with a better socioemotional amenities of learning environment benefitting them with positive affective engagement.Originality/valueGiven the imperative to enhance students' emotional engagement in online learning and the limited discourse surrounding its practical implementation, the proposed framework stands poised to enrich and inform online pedagogical practices.