EFL Students’ Engagement and Digital Transformation to Support Education in Difficult Times

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced various dimensions of higher education systems globally, including the teaching and learning process of English as a Foreign Language. Pedagogical practice has been altered by the confinement of lockdown measures, which affected the level of student engagement. Consequently, this study aimed to analyze the level of student engagement during the pandemic. A realist evaluation guided the analysis of this study to answer the research question: what worked for the students in this context and why? Descriptive statistics were also used to analyze the results that emerged from a student engagement questionnaire. The results revealed that the level of student engagement varied according to the different dimensions analyzed using the questionnaire instrument. There was a strong connection between student capabilities and the teaching environment. Additionally, it can be concluded that distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown was a successful teaching-learning medium for engaged students that are confident in using technology. It is essential to consider different engagement dimensions in different circumstances to help students achieve the desired learning outcomes during prolonged periods of imposed online learning.