Why Do Engineering Students Stay Silent in Class?

Transnational engineering classrooms taught in English should buzz with debate, yet many students stay quiet even when motivated. A survey of 402 Chinese undergraduates in a Sino‑UK joint program uncovered why.

Interest in the subject drives 76.6% of respondents, and 72.8% are motivated by career relevance. However, fear of making mistakes (56%) and low confidence in public speaking (51%) keep them silent. Additional hurdles include language load, deference to instructors, and prior passive learning habits.

Gender and discipline differences are negligible; only senior students show a slight confidence boost. Open‑ended responses reveal evaluation anxiety, technical‑vocabulary demands, and unclear participation expectations. To cope, students prepare before class, rely on peer support, and ask questions after lessons.

The authors label this the “motivated‑but‑silent learner” profile: high motivation blocked by cultural, linguistic, and psychological filters. They recommend psychological‑safety measures, discipline‑specific language scaffolds, and culturally responsive teaching to turn motivation into active participation.

Statistical analysis employed chi‑square tests for categorical variables and ANOVA to compare study years, with effect sizes (Cohen’s d) below 0.20, indicating negligible differences. Inductive thematic analysis identified four macro‑themes: (1) evaluation anxiety, tied to fear of negative judgment by teachers and peers; (2) cognitive load of technical vocabulary, requiring advanced lexical competence to articulate engineering concepts; (3) inconsistent participation expectations, where instructor guidelines do not clearly specify when and how to intervene; (4) private coping strategies, such as pre‑class slide and glossary preparation, peer tutoring, and post‑lecture questions via digital platforms.

The proposed “blocked‑pathway” model integrates Self‑Determination Theory (SDT) and Expectancy‑Value Theory (EVT) with Willingness to Communicate (WTC). Here, intrinsic motivation (interest, perceived value) is dampened by external (linguistic, cultural) and internal (anxiety, low self‑efficacy) barriers. The study recommends targeted interventions: (i) create low‑stakes spaces where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities; (ii) introduce thematic glossaries and role‑play activities to practice technical language; (iii) train teachers on constructive feedback practices and managing classroom power dynamics. These measures could boost WTC, turning motivation into verbal participation and enhancing collaborative learning in EMI/TNE settings.