Culturally Situated Engagement in Project-Based English Writing: A Contextualised Framework for Chinese Senior High Schools

Project‑based learning has gained traction in English as a foreign language classrooms around the world, yet the role of cultural context in shaping how students engage with project‑based writing tasks remains under-theorized. This position paper argues that in Chinese senior high schools, student engagement in project‑based English writing ought to be understood as culturally situated. The paper draws on Vygotskian sociocultural theory and self‑determination theory to propose a framework that identifies three culturally shaped engagement patterns. Relational engagement refers to participation driven by group harmony and face‑saving concerns. Instrumental engagement describes performance‑oriented participation motivated by examination goals. Deferential engagement captures participation mediated by teacher authority and expectations. These patterns are not deficiencies relative to Western ideals of autonomous engagement. They are adaptive strategies that students develop to navigate the tension between the collaborative and constructivist ideals of project‑based learning and the examination‑oriented, teacher‑centered realities of Chinese secondary education. The framework is proposed as a set of testable propositions to guide future empirical inquiry. The paper outlines culturally responsive pedagogical principles and a research agenda for studying engagement in non‑Western English as a foreign language contexts.

project based learning, student engagement, English writing, Chinese senior high schools, culturally situated engagement, sociocultural theory

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