EXAMINING ENGLISH MAJORS’ PERCEPTIONS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHING PRESENCE, SATISFACTION AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS IN SYNCHRONOUS ONLINE CLASSES

Growing interest in online education has led to considerable research on factors influencing students’ learning outcomes, yet research on the relationship between teaching presence and student satisfaction and academic achievements in synchronous online English classes in developing countries is scanty. The current study aimed to address this gap by employing a quantitative design and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) for data analysis. A total of 182 surveyed respondents from a private Vietnamese university, enrolling in various general English levels in synchronous online modes for at least one semester, completed a closed-ended five-point Likert scale questionnaire survey over a two-month period. The findings indicate that teaching presence was significantly associated with both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, as well as student satisfaction in synchronous online English classes, although it does not directly influence academic performance. Extrinsic motivation showed a significant positive relationship with academic achievement, whereas intrinsic motivation shows no significant effect. Student satisfaction functions as a mediator between teaching presence and academic performance, with higher satisfaction correlating with improved academic outcomes. The research underscores the importance of teaching strategies that promote satisfaction and extrinsic motivation to bolster student success in online learning environments, specifically in the Vietnamese context, where online learning mode is burgeoning. Moreover, this study contributes to current research by providing additional empirical evidence on theoretical insights and applied applications for online English learning environments by focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities that synchronous online classes present in the Vietnamese educational system, thereby addressing a gap in research from developing countries.