Variable- and person-centered approaches to teacher support and learning satisfaction in blended English learning: the role of SDT motivation and learning engagement

BackgroundWith blended learning boosting explosively, learning satisfaction is confronted with challenges. Aiming at its enhancement, teacher support, an essential element of instruction, was investigated.MethodsTo pinpoint the dynamics between teacher support and learning satisfaction, 376 university students who participated in blended English learning were involved in self-report questionnaires. A variable-centered approach for data analysis was employed to examine the chain mediation model, and a person-centered one was utilized for exploring more personalized learning patterns of the samples.ResultsThe variable-centered investigation validated the hypothesized chain mediation model. SDT motivation and learning engagement were two successful mediators, and they also formed an effective chain mediator between teacher support and learning satisfaction. The person-centered study analyzed teacher support and learning satisfaction reported, and identified three latent profiles: below-average-both, average-both, and high-both profile. Learners in different profiles were spotted with disparate traits, with those in high-both profile presenting the most favorable results.ConclusionThis study addresses the gap in research on the four variables from a blended learning perspective, and innovatively combines variable-centered and person-centered analytical approaches, providing customized enlightenments into fostering students' progress. Pedagogical implications are part of discussion.