Facilitating Students’ Emotional Engagement in Synchronous Online Learning: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Learners’ emotional engagement in synchronous online learning (SOL) is critical for improving learning persistence and performance. Nevertheless, there is currently a lack of comprehensive and systematic reviews of emotional engagement in SOL. This review synthesizes the strategies to promote emotional engagement in SOL found in published empirical studies. A total of 32 articles were systematically analyzed by following the grounded theory approach. The primary themes were grouped into four categories: (a) instructor actions (e.g., interacting informally before and after class, encouraging the expression of ideas), (b) learner behaviors (e.g., building rapport with peers, recognizing individual accountability), (c) environment characteristics (e.g., creating a supportive atmosphere, selecting communication modes), and (d) activity design (e.g., using breakout rooms, embedding diverse elements). These findings offer comprehensive understanding and guidance for promoting emotional engagement in SOL for instructors, researchers, and course developers.