When disengagement protects the self: A qualitative study of low-achieving undergraduates’ experiences of compulsory EFL learning

Technical Summary: "When disengagement protects the self: A qualitative study of low-achieving undergraduates' experiences of compulsory EFL learning"

Problem Statement
Disengagement in compulsory English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning is frequently interpreted as a deficit in motivation, effort, or academic commitment. However, this perspective may obscure the psychological functions of withdrawal, particularly for students who anticipate repeated failure. In the context of Chinese higher education, where English is a compulsory component of undergraduate curricula and is closely tied to high-stakes assessments like the College English Test (CET), students with weak prior attainment face sustained performance demands despite limited confidence. The study addresses a gap in qualitative understanding regarding how low-achieving undergraduates interpret their own disengagement, specifically examining whether withdrawal functions as a mechanism for managing anticipated failure and self-evaluative threat rather than merely indicating a lack of interest.

Methodology
This study employed an interpretive qualitative design utilizing abductive reflexive thematic analysis. The research was informed by Control–Value Theory (regarding achievement emotions) and Self-Worth perspectives (regarding motivation and protection).

• Participants: Five engineering undergraduates from a private university in China were recruited via criterion-based purposive sampling. Eligibility required enrollment in an engineering-related major and a CET-4 score below 370 (scores ranged from 326 to 351).
• Data Collection:
  • Interviews: Five individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted in Chinese (approx. 60 minutes each) to explore learning histories, perceived competence, control, task value, and classroom experiences.
  • Observations: Five non-participant observations of the participants' regular EFL classes were conducted (approx. 50 minutes each) to contextualize interview accounts within actual classroom interaction patterns.
• Analysis: Data were analyzed using NVivo. The analysis iterated between inductive engagement with student accounts and theoretically informed interpretation using concepts of control, value, and self-worth protection. Classroom observations served as contextual evidence rather than independent verification of internal psychological states.

Key Findings
The analysis generated five interconnected themes describing disengagement not as indifference, but as a contextually shaped response to perceived inadequacy and risk:

1. 'English is beyond me' (Low Perceived Competence and Control): Students viewed English difficulties as accumulated, foundational deficits (particularly in vocabulary and grammar) rather than temporary obstacles. While they knew effective study strategies (e.g., memorization), they perceived low control over sustaining these efforts, framing improvement as unlikely through current classroom participation.
2. 'Trying makes failure visible' (Evaluative Threat and Self-Worth Risk): Public performance in English was associated with the risk of ridicule and the exposure of incompetence. Students avoided speaking to prevent negative self-evaluation or peer judgment, suggesting that silence functioned as a protective measure against shame.
3. 'It will not change my future' (Low Task Value and Vocational Misalignment): English was valued instrumentally for passing the CET-4 or potential postgraduate entrance exams but was rarely seen as central to their immediate professional identities. The perceived relevance of English was conditional and often overshadowed by disciplinary demands.
4. 'Doing less feels safer' (Withdrawal as Emotion and Self-Worth Management): Disengagement manifested as selective participation. Students engaged in assessment-focused, low-risk activities (e.g., finding answers in textbooks) while avoiding spontaneous production or sustained practice. This withdrawal served to minimize immediate emotional demands and the risk of confirming inadequacy.
5. 'Everyone is like this' (Social and Institutional Reinforcement): Withdrawal was normalized by classroom ecology. Observations revealed teacher-led instruction, frequent use of Chinese, and limited opportunities for student English production. Peer norms of non-participation and teacher adaptations to low comprehension levels reinforced the acceptability of minimal engagement.

Key Contributions

• Reframing Disengagement: The study challenges the deficit model of low motivation, proposing that for low-achieving students, disengagement can be a functional, self-protective strategy to manage evaluative threat and preserve self-worth.
• Contextualizing Psychological Processes: It integrates Control–Value Theory and Self-Worth perspectives to demonstrate how perceived lack of control, low task value, and high evaluative threat interact within specific classroom ecologies to produce withdrawal.
• Cultural Nuance: The paper treats tangping ("lying flat") not as a clinical diagnosis or fixed personality trait, but as an emic expression used by students to describe reduced striving in the face of perceived insurmountable barriers.
• Methodological Integration: By combining student narratives with non-participant classroom observations, the study situates individual psychological experiences within the broader institutional and social norms of the EFL classroom.

Significance and Claims
The paper claims that disengagement among low-achieving undergraduates should not be treated solely as an individual motivational deficit. Instead, it is a response to a specific constellation of conditions: low perceived competence, high evaluative threat, uncertain vocational relevance, and classroom norms that make withdrawal socially unremarkable.

The author argues that teaching approaches must move beyond simply exhorting students to work harder. Effective support requires:

• Strengthening perceived competence and control through graded tasks and visible progress.
• Reducing disproportionate evaluative threat by creating safer participation formats (e.g., small-group preparation, anonymous responses).
• Making English learning meaningfully connected to students' future professional aspirations to enhance task value.

The study concludes that while withdrawal may offer short-term protection from embarrassment, it potentially restricts opportunities for participation and perceived progress, creating a cycle that sustains low achievement. The findings are presented as an interpretive account grounded in a small qualitative dataset, offering a lens for understanding the reciprocal relationship between student appraisals and classroom conditions, rather than a causal model or a diagnostic tool.