How teachers see it: Understanding young learners’ engagement in primary L2 classrooms

Abstract

This study investigated primary school teachers’ views and the basis for assessing young learners’ engagement in second language classrooms. Using a sequential mixed-methods design, it analyzed interviews (n = 10) and surveys (n = 134) from teachers of learners in Grades 3–5 (aged 8–10 years old) across 102 public primary schools in Vietnam. Findings show that while teachers viewed young learner engagement as multidimensional, they emphasized behavioral, cognitive, and positive emotional engagement, paying less attention to social and negative emotional aspects. Teachers’ experience and school location had minimal impact on their views, but learners’ socioeconomic backgrounds strongly influenced expectations, especially in behavioral and cognitive domains. Teachers relied on a range of contextual bases when assessing engagement. Theoretically, the study clarifies the distinction between young learner engagement’s multidimensionality and teachers’ selective emphasis. Pedagogically, it stresses the need for more balanced engagement strategies and critical reflection on expectations for disadvantaged learners, with implications for teacher training and engagement research.