Emotional Engagement in Hybrid English Humanities Classrooms in the Post-Pandemic Era

Abstract

This study examines the nature and dynamics of emotional engagement among university students in hybrid English humanities classrooms during the post-pandemic period. As higher education institutions worldwide have adopted hybrid teaching models that combine in-person and online modalities, understanding how students emotionally engage with learning in these mixed environments has become an urgent concern. Drawing on theories of academic emotions, student engagement, and affective pedagogy, this research employs a mixed-methods design combining survey data from 326 undergraduate students and in-depth interviews with 20 purposefully selected participants at a Chinese university. The findings reveal that emotional engagement in hybrid humanities classrooms is shaped by four interrelated factors: pedagogical design, social presence, technological mediation, and learner agency. Students reported experiencing a wide range of emotions, from enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity to frustration and isolation, with the quality of social interaction emerging as the strongest predictor of positive emotional engagement. The study identifies specific pedagogical strategies that support emotional engagement in hybrid settings, including structured collaborative activities, emotionally responsive teaching practices, and the intentional cultivation of learning communities. The research contributes to the emerging literature on post-pandemic hybrid pedagogy by foregrounding the emotional dimension of student experience and offering practical recommendations for educators seeking to create emotionally engaging hybrid learning environments in humanities education.