Developing oral communication skills and self-regulation through social media-based mobile microlearning: a CareerEDGE model perspective

Purpose This study evaluates how a social media-based mobile microlearning (SMBMM) intervention via WeChat fosters undergraduate oral communication skills and self-regulation, positioning them within the CareerEDGE model. Design/methodology/approach This pilot study used a mixed-methods, one-group pretest-posttest design with 58 Chinese undergraduates over a five-week flipped-microlearning intervention. Quantitatively, speaking skills were assessed with an adapted IELTS-style speaking test. Qualitatively, reflective e-journals and an online focus-group interview were used to capture learning processes and perceptions. Findings Quantitative results revealed significant improvements in overall English speaking skills (p < 0.001), with the largest gains in lexical resource (r = 0.856). Deductive thematic analysis, grounded in the CareerEDGE model, identified five mechanisms through which SMBMM may facilitate learning: (1) instructional scaffolding for oral communication and self-regulation, (2) enhancing learning adaptability through online–offline synergy, (3) peer support and cultivation of emotional intelligence, (4) iterative mixed feedback loops supporting reflection and evaluation and (5) cultivating self-belief and anxiety reduction through progressive mastery. Research limitations/implications The one-group pretest-posttest design precludes causal inference; alternative explanations − including maturation and testing effects − cannot be eliminated. The purposive sample drawn from a single Chinese university further restricts generalizability. Practical implications SMBMM offers a cognitively efficient pedagogical approach for developing communicative skills and self-regulation. By integrating digital social networking with structured pedagogy, the intervention may support the affective and adaptive competencies associated with graduate employability. Social implications SMBMM may reduce educational inequality through low-cost, flexible speaking practice, contingent on equitable technology access. Originality/value Despite the inherent limitations of the one-group design, this study offers incremental empirical evidence for SMBMM in the Chinese higher education context. It reconceptualizes employability competencies as communicative capital (speaking proficiency) and psychological capital (self-regulation and affective skills), offering an initial framework for educators seeking to align language training with labor market demands.