When disengagement protects the self: A qualitative study of low-achieving undergraduates’ experiences of compulsory EFL learning

<title>Abstract</title> <p> <bold>Background</bold> Disengagement in compulsory English as a foreign language learning is often understood as low motivation or insufficient effort. This qualitative study explored how low-achieving engineering undergraduates in China experienced disengagement, including its possible emotional and self-evaluative functions within classroom and institutional contexts. <bold>Methods</bold> Five undergraduates with College English Test-4 scores below 370 at a private university in China participated in individual semi-structured interviews conducted in Chinese. Five non-participant observations of participants’ regular English classes were also undertaken to contextualise interview accounts. Data were analysed using abductive reflexive thematic analysis, informed by control–value theory and self-worth perspectives. <bold>Results</bold> Participants described disengagement as shaped by low perceived competence and control, anticipated public failure, limited perceived relevance of English to future professional lives, and classroom norms in which minimal participation was common. Withdrawal practices, including silence, reduced preparation, and reliance on narrowly examination-oriented learning, could limit immediate exposure to embarrassment and negative self-evaluation. Observations contextualised these accounts within classrooms where sustained English speaking was uncommon and public performance opportunities were limited. These findings suggest that disengagement may function as a contextually shaped form of self-protection, while potentially restricting opportunities for participation and perceived progress. <bold>Conclusions</bold> Disengagement among low-achieving undergraduates should not be treated solely as an individual motivational deficit. Teaching approaches that strengthen perceived competence and control, reduce disproportionate evaluative threat, and make English learning more meaningfully connected to students’ future aspirations may support safer participation in compulsory English courses. </p>