THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TOOLS ON EFL TERTIARY STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT FROM A POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The research evaluates how digital tools influence the positive psychological state of Vietnamese students pursuing English as a foreign language at the tertiary level by examining their engagement using the PERMA framework. The qualitative method explored both the main digital tools students used and the effects these tools had on their learning engagement. Open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews conducted at a private university in Hai Phong, Vietnam, served as the data collection methods. Students actively used three distinct digital tool categories: social media networks, learning management systems, and technology-supported language learning platforms. Student engagement experienced dramatic impact through electronic tools extending across three learning domains: behavior, affect, and cognition. Digital tools enabled students to solve problems while assisting language analysis, ensuring continuous learning practices, and creating supportive learning environments. The outcomes might contribute to digital tool integration knowledge in Vietnamese EFL instruction and an understanding that longitudinal research and cultural-technical technology adoption barriers require investigation.