Factors Influencing College Students' Satisfaction with Project-Based Learning

A Case Study of Colleges in Guangxi, China

Abstract

This study utilizes a three-phase, mixed-methods approach informed by the Instructional Design and Implementation (IDI) model to explore the factors affecting student satisfaction with project-based learning (PBL) in a vocational college in South China. It specifically investigates the roles of learning motivation, emotional engagement, learning presence, and learning engagement. The research was conducted in three sequential phases: (1) an initial phase that assessed baseline levels and predictors of satisfaction through validated instruments administered to 90 students; (2) a four-week instructional intervention involving a subset of 30 students, which was designed with structured project phases, authentic tasks, and collaborative learning; and (3) a post-intervention phase that evaluated changes. Quantitative results from the initial phase, analyzed using multiple linear regression, identified emotional engagement, learning presence, and learning engagement as significant predictors of satisfaction, whereas learning motivation did not emerge as a significant factor. Following the intervention, paired samples t-tests revealed statistically significant improvements (p < .001) across all constructs, including motivation. Notably, the data indicated a 46.2% increase in learning satisfaction scores post-intervention. The findings suggest that emotional, cognitive, and behavioral engagement are more critical to student satisfaction in vocational PBL than motivation alone, and that a well-structured IDI can substantially enhance both engagement and satisfaction.