A longitudinal study of digital multimodal learning activities and achievement motivation: A superposition perspective from Chinese EFL learners

Abstract

In the context of China's evolving English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education landscape, where traditional exam-oriented practices often hinder sustained learner engagement, digital multimodal learning activities (DMLAs), which integrate visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities, have been increasingly recognized for their potential to enhance engagement. Nevertheless, their longitudinal effects on achievement motivation, particularly through a quantum-inspired superposition perspective that models concurrent motivational states, remain underexamined. This study addresses this gap by investigating the impact of DMLAs on EFL learners’ achievement motivation over an extended period. A longitudinal study was conducted with 260 Chinese EFL university students (110 males, 150 females) in [Blinded for review], who engaged in a 12-month period involving digital multimodal learning tasks tailored to EFL contexts. Achievement motivation was measured using the Achievement Motivation Scale (AMS) at three time points (baseline, 6 months, and 12 months). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the relationships between multimodal learning and achievement motivation, with a superposition framework to capture the interplay of multiple motivational drivers. Findings revealed that DMLAs significantly enhanced achievement motivation across all time points, with a cumulative increase in motivation from baseline to 12 months. The superposition perspective highlighted the synergistic effect of simultaneous intrinsic and extrinsic motivational states. These results suggest that DMLAs, informed by superposition principles, offer a robust approach to sustaining EFL learners’ achievement motivation through sustained, scaffolded integration into curricula that leverage synergistic intrinsic and extrinsic motivational states for long-term engagement. Implications include the adoption of multidigital modal strategies in EFL curricula to foster long-term motivation, with further research needed to explore their applicability across diverse educational settings.