# Impact of instructional design on students’ critical thinking and engagement in online English reading classes: mediating role of motivation and moderating role of language proficiency

## TL;DR

This study shows how different teaching methods affect students' thinking and engagement in online English classes, with motivation and language skills playing key roles.

## Contribution

The study introduces a model showing how motivation mediates and language proficiency moderates the impact of instructional design on learning outcomes.

## Key findings

- Inquiry-based design positively affects critical thinking and engagement, while traditional design has a negative effect.
- Blended design shows a positive but weaker impact compared to inquiry-based methods.
- Motivation mediates the instructional design effects, and language proficiency moderates the impact on critical thinking.

## Abstract

This study investigates the association between instructional design, students’ critical thinking skills, and student engagement, as well as the mediating role of motivation and the moderating role of language proficiency. Data were collected from 380 students using a random sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was employed as the research instrument, and data were analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings indicate that inquiry-based instructional design shows a significant positive relationship with both critical thinking skills and student engagement, whereas traditional instructional design shows a negative relationship. The blended instructional design demonstrates a positive relationship, though to a lesser extent than the inquiry-based approach. Moreover, motivation mediates the relationship between instructional design and both critical thinking skills and student engagement. Language proficiency moderates the relationship between instructional design and critical thinking skills, but not student engagement.