Sustaining the Reading Current: Cognitive, Behavioral, and Emotional Engagement among Indonesian EFL University Students

Sinarman Jaya; Leffi Noviyenty

doi:10.29408/veles.v10i1.34005

Authors

Sinarman Jaya Universitas Muhammadiyah Bengkulu, Indonesia
Leffi Noviyenty Institut Agama Islam Negeri Curup, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29408/veles.v10i1.34005

Keywords:

reading engagement, cognitive engagement, behavioral engagement, emotional engagement

Abstract

Reading engagement remains a critical concern in Indonesian EFL higher education, where students are required to engage with dense academic texts despite limited sustained reading practices. Although previous studies have examined reading motivation and strategies, less attention has been given to how cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement interact to sustain academic reading. This study investigated multidimensional reading engagement among Indonesian EFL university students through the lens of Directed Motivational Currents. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed, involving 110 third-semester students from four universities in Bengkulu, Indonesia, of whom 20 participated in semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational statistics, while qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis and integrated through triangulation. The findings revealed a high level of overall reading engagement, with emotional engagement emerging slightly higher than cognitive and behavioral engagement. Perceived progress in comprehension, alignment with future academic and professional goals, emotional satisfaction, and structured reading practices were identified as key factors supporting sustained engagement. Interview data further showed that students maintained engagement by segmenting complex texts, setting reading routines, monitoring comprehension, and connecting reading tasks to future-oriented goals. These findings suggest that EFL academic reading engagement is not driven by obligation alone but by the dynamic interaction of emotional reinforcement, goal-directed motivation, and strategic regulation. Pedagogically, EFL instructors should design reading activities that include explicit strategy training, manageable text segmentation, progress-based feedback, and goal-oriented scaffolding to sustain students’ engagement with academic texts.

References

Bråten, I., Latini, N., & Haverkamp, Y. (2021). Predictors and outcomes of behavioral engagement in the context of text comprehension: when quantity means quality. Reading and Writing, 35, 687–711. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-021-10205-x

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis?. Qualitative research in psychology, 18(3), 328-352. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1769238

Creswell, J.W. and Plano Clark, V. L. (2023). Revisiting mixed methods research designs twenty years later. In E. Poth, C.N. (Ed.), The Sage Handbook of Mixed Methods Research Design (pp. 21–36). Sage Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529682663.n6

Dardjito, H., Rolls, N., Setiawan, A., & Sumekto, D. (2023). Challenges in reading English academic texts for non-English-major students at an Indonesian university. Studies in English Language and Education, 10(3), 1290–1308. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.24815/siele.v10i3.29067

Dornyei, Z. and Ushioda, E. (2011). Teaching and Researching Motivation (2nd Edition). Pearson, Harlow.

Dörnyei, Z., & Henry, A. (2015). Motivational dynamics in language learning. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching 5(4):707-713. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2015.5.4.10

Dörnyei, Z., Henry, A., & Muir, C. (2016). Motivational Currents in Language Learning. In Motivational Currents in Language Learning. Zoltán Dörnyei, Alastair Henry, and Christine Muir. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315772714

Eriksson, L. (2023). “Gruelling to read”: Swedish university students’ perceptions of and attitudes towards academic reading in English. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 64(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2023.101265

Habók, A., Oo, T., & Magyar, A. (2024). The effect of reading strategy use on online reading comprehension. Heliyon, 10(2), 1–17. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24281

Han, F. (2021). The relations between motivation, strategy use, frequency, and proficiency in foreign language reading: An investigation with university English language learners in China. SAGE Open, 11(2), 2–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211008423

Heikkinen, S., Saqr, M., Malmberg, J., & Tedre, M. (2025). A longitudinal study of the interplay between student engagement and self-regulation. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 22(21), 1–28. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-025-00523-3

Heydarnejad, T., Tagavipour, F., Patra, I., & Khafaga, A. (2022). The impacts of performance-based assessment on reading comprehension achievement, academic motivation, foreign language anxiety, and students’ self-efficacy. Language Testing in Asia, 12(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-022-00202-4

Huo, C., Zhang, L., & Stephens, J. (2025). Examining the structure of Directed Motivational Currents (DMCs) among secondary and tertiary english as a Second Language learners. Behavioral Sciences, 15(8), 1–19. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081066

Ibrahim, K., Carbajal, N., Zuta, M., & Bayat, S. (2023). Collaborative learning, scaffolding-based instruction, and self-assessment: impacts on intermediate EFL learners’ reading comprehension, motivation, and anxiety. Language Testing in Asia, 13(1), 1–33. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-023-00229-1

Jahedizadeh, S., & Al-Hoorie, A. H. (2021). Directed motivational currents: A systematic review. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 11(4), 517–541. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.2021.11.4.3

Jang, E., Seo, Y., & Brutt‐Griffler, J. (2022). Building academic resilience in literacy: Digital reading practices and motivational and cognitive engagement. Reading Research Quarterly, 58(1), 160–176. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.486

Li, H., Gan, Z., Leung, S., & An, Z. (2022). The impact of reading strategy instruction on reading comprehension, strategy use, motivation, and self-efficacy in Chinese university EFL students. SAGE Open, 12(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221086659

Lin, C., Lin, T., & Tang, C. (2025). Enhancing English reading comprehension, learning motivation, and attitude through AI ‐supported pre‐reading scaffolding. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 41(6), 1–15. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.70150

Luo, R., & Zhou, Y. (2024). The effectiveness of self-regulated learning strategies in higher education blended learning: A five-year systematic review. J. Comput. Assist. Learn, 40, 3005–3029. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.13052

Ma, L., & Zhao, Z. (2025). Reading motivation and reading comprehension achievement among English majors in China: A descriptive correlational study. Heliyon, 11(3), 1–10. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42427

Mahdahera, D. D. U., & Ridwan, I. (2023). EFL students’ engagement in reading comprehension using cooperative integrated reading and composition. Bahtera: Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Dan Sastra, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.21009/bahtera.221.01

Mežek, Š., McGrath, L., Negretti, R., & Berggren, J. (2021). Scaffolding L2 academic reading and self‐regulation through task and feedback. TESOL Quarterly, 1(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.3018

Muir, C., & Gümüş, Ö. (2020). Directed motivational currents: An agenda for future research. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 6(3), 501-519. https://doi.org/10.32601/ejal.834661

Muslimin, A. I. (2025). English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ engagement, reading habits, and learning outcomes: A comparative study of extensive and intensive reading. Asia Pacific Journal of Educators and Education, 40(2), 337–355. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.21315/apjee2025.40.2.16

Nahak, Y., & Mbato, C. L. (2022). Undergraduate Students’ Perceived Self-Efficacy in Academic Reading. Language Circle: Journal of Language and Literature, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.15294/lc.v16i2.34190

Pekrun, R. (2021). Emotions in reading and learning from texts: progress and open problems. Discourse Processes, 59, 116–125. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/0163853x.2021.1938878

Pekrun, R., Goetz, T., Titz, W., & Perry, R. P. (2002). Academic emotions in students' self-regulated learning and achievement: A program of qualitative and quantitative research. Educational psychologist, 37(2), 91-105. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3702_4

Pietluch, A., & Sak, M. (2025). Navigating the Flow: The Dynamic Nature of Language Learners’ Well‐Being in Directed Motivational Currents. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 35(3), 1427–1439. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.12716.

Pinzón Santos, E. Y., Suárez Rojas, M. S., & Carrasco, F. C. (2021). Impact of Self-Regulated Learning on Reading Skills. Cuadernos de Lingüística Hispanica, 2021(37). https://doi.org/10.19053/0121053X.n37.2021.12152

Rad, H. (2025). Reinforcing L2 reading comprehension through artificial intelligence intervention: refining engagement to foster self-regulated learning. Smart Learn. Environ, 12(23), 1–28. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-025-00377-2.

Richards, K. A. R., & Hemphill, M. A. (2018). A practical guide to collaborative qualitative data analysis. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 37(2), 225-231. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2017-0084

Sak, M., & Pietluch, A. (2024). Sources and outcomes of distressing emotions in directed motivational currents. System, 123(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2024.103317.

Sasabone, L., Jihad, N., & Saleh, N. (2025). Exploring the correlation between higher-order thinking skills, reading strategies, and reading literacy among EFL students in the digital 4.0 era. Communications on Applied Nonlinear Analysis, 32(9), 3007–3019. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.52783/cana.v32.4616

Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and Social Cognitive Theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60(1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.101832

Urhahne, D., & Wijnia, L. (2023). Theories of motivation in education: An integrative framework. Educational Psychology Review, 35(3), 1–35. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09767-9

Van Der Sande, L., Van Steensel, R., Fikrat-Wevers, S., & Arends, L. (2023). Effectiveness of Interventions that Foster Reading Motivation: a Meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 35, 1–38. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09719-3

Wei, D., Xu, C., & Zheng, X. (2024). Motivation and metacognitive strategy use in reading English as a foreign language among adolescent learners. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 34, 1091–1099. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-024-00923-5

Wong, J., Baars, M., He, M., Koning, B., & Paas, F. (2021). Facilitating goal setting and planning to enhance online self-regulation of learning. Comput. Hum. Behav, 124(3), 1–14. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106913

Xodabande, I., & Babaii, E. (2021). Directed Motivational Currents (DMCs) in self-directed language learning: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Language and Education, 7(3), 117–128. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.17323/jle.2021.12856

Yapp, D., De Graaff, R., & Van Den Bergh, H. (2021). Effects of reading strategy instruction in English as a second language on students’ academic reading comprehension. Language Teaching Research, 27, 1456–1479. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820985236.

Yu, S., & Liu, H. (2023). Longitudinal detection of directed motivational currents in L2 learning: motivated behaviours and emotional responses. Current Psychology, 43, 7497–7510. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04945-y.

Zaha, A. (2022). Analysis of the interrelatedness of Self -Regulation, Learners' Engagement, and Self-Perceived development in a synchronous online EFL reading course. World Journal of English Language, 12(8). https://doi.org/10.5430/wjel.v12n8p39

Zarrinabadi, N., & Khodarahmi, E. (2021). Some antecedents of directed motivational currents in a foreign language. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 45, 973–986. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2021.1931250.

Zarrinabadi, N., & Khodarahmi, E. (2023). Investigating the consequences of experiencing directed motivational currents for learners’ beliefs and self-perceptions. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 46, 698–712. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2023.2197422

Zhou, J. (2025). Enjoyment and challenges of advanced EFL learners in online extensive reading. Reading in a Foreign Language, 37(2), 85–108. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.64152/10125/67499