Modeling the role of rapport and classroom climate in EMI students' classroom engagement

With the globalization of education, an increasing number of studies have been carried out in the English as a medium of instruction (EMI) classes. However, as the review of earlier studies revealed, most of the studies have exclusively focused on the challenges and opportunities of this mode of instruction. That is, few investigations have examined students' classroom behaviors and their determinants in EMI courses. More precisely, limited attention has been dedicated to EMI students' classroom engagement and its potential predictors. Accordingly, studying EMI students' classroom engagement and its personal, interpersonal, and situational predictors seems essential. To respond to this necessity, the present research examined the role of rapport and classroom climate in predicting Chinese EMI students' classroom engagement. In doing this, using random sampling strategy, a total of 416 university students was recruited from Chinese EMI classes. To collect the dataset, an online survey comprising three self-report questionnaires was administered to participants. The results of correlation test and multiple regression analysis divulged positive, significant correlations among rapport, classroom climate, and classroom engagement. The analysis outcomes also displayed that rapport and classroom climate were significant predictors of EMI students' classroom engagement. The study outcomes may have some beneficial and insightful implications for all instructors teaching different academic subjects through English.