Motivation and engagement as pathways: how AI-augmented online assessment shapes English-speaking competency in vocational EFL classrooms.

ABSTRACT: Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming language assessment, yet the psychological mechanisms through which it influences complex communicative skills remain underexplored. This study examines how AI-augmented online assessment (OA) relates to self-perceived English-speaking competency (ESC) among vocational English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) learners in Guangdong Province, China, focusing on the mediating roles of motivation in digital teaching (MODT) and engagement in digital teaching (ENDT). Data from 463 students across three public vocational colleges were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). Results indicate that OA has a small but significant direct association with ESC, while its in

SUBMITTER: Dai X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12816374 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature