Fostering Agentic Engagement Through Game-Based Language Learning: A Mixed-Methods Study

Details

Supervisors

Suner Munoz, Ferran ; He, Bailing

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [120] en langues et lettres modernes, orientation germaniques, à finalité didactique

Abstract

enThis master's thesis aims to examine the development of agentic engagement in an immersive virtual reality (VR) game-based language learning (GBLL) environment for learners of German as a foreign language. While previous research has demonstrated the benefits of VR and game-based learning for motivation and engagement, relatively little attention has been paid to agentic engagement (the proactive contributions learners make to shape their own learning) and to its evolution over time in immersive language learning contexts. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, Complex Dynamic Systems Theory, Flow Theory, and Cognitive Load Theory, the study adopted a concurrent mixed-methods longitudinal design. Twenty-five learners participated in seven collaborative VR scenarios implemented in The Travel Kit, a multiplayer VR game designed to foster spoken German through authentic communicative tasks. After each scenario, participants completed questionnaires measuring agentic engagement, classroom engagement, intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and cognitive load, while semi-structured interviews provided qualitative insights into learners' experiences. Quantitative analyses using linear mixed-effects models revealed that agentic engagement increased significantly over the course of the intervention. Furthermore, behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement, intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and cognitive load were all significant predictors of agentic engagement. Qualitative analyses identified four distinct developmental trajectories of agentic engagement among learners and highlighted several factors that facilitated or hindered its development, including increasing self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, psychological safety, familiarity with the VR environment, and fluctuations in cognitive load. By integrating quantitative and qualitative findings, the study demonstrates that agentic engagement is a dynamic and context-dependent construct that emerges through continuous interactions between learner characteristics and the learning environment. The findings contribute to the growing literature on student engagement in technology-enhanced language learning by providing a longitudinal mixed-methods investigations of agentic engagement in immersive VR GBLL. They also offer practical implications for the design of VR language-learning environments that promote learner agency, autonomy, and meaningful participation while managing cognitive demands.