The effect of Siemens’ communicative instructional design model on students’ academic engagement in an English blended learning environment

The present study examines the impact of Siemens’ connectivist learning model on students’ academic engagement in a blended English language learning environment. This study was conducted quasi-experimentally using a pretest and post-test design with a control group. The statistical population of this research consisted of 52 female students from high schools in Karaj, Iran, who were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, English language instruction was provided based on the Siemens connectivist learning model and in a blended learning environment. Data were collected using the Reeve Academic Engagement Questionnaire (2013) and analyzed through covariance analysis. The results indicated that the Siemens connectivist learning model had a positive impact on the emotional, cognitive, behavioral components of students’ academic engagement, and on the agentic engagement. These results showed that using the Siemens model can be effective in boosting academic engagement in blended learning environments and can help to improve English language learning processes.