THE IMPACT OF HYBRID LEARNING FORMATS ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, MOTIVATION, AND STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN THE DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

In the context of the intensive digitalization of higher education, special importance is attached to studying the consequences of the transition to hybrid learning formats for students’ academic outcomes and psychological characteristics. The aim of the study is a comprehensive assessment of the relationships between the format of educational process organization, academic performance, the structure of academic motivation, and characteristics of student engagement. The empirical base consists of survey data and electronic grade statistics from a sample of four hundred seventy-eight students in technical disciplines from three universities, representing on-site, hybrid, and predominantly distance learning formats. Standardized questionnaires on academic motivation and student engagement were used, as well as behavioral indicators of activity in the electronic learning system, including frequency of logins, number of accesses to materials, and participation in discussions. Statistical processing is carried out using analysis of variance, correlation, and regression modeling at a significance level of p less than 0.05. It is found that the hybrid format is associated with the highest average academic performance and integral motivational index, accompanied by increased intrinsic motivation and high activity in digital platform forums, whereas the predominantly distance format demonstrates a decline in academic performance and a pronounced polarization of results. It is shown that the decisive factor of academic success is the combination of well-developed intrinsic motivation and cognitive engagement, expressed in regular meaningful interaction with learning materials and participation in online discussions, while a simple increase in time spent in the system is not associated with improved indicators. The obtained results are discussed in terms of rethinking the pedagogical design of hybrid programs, the necessity of targeted support for students’ motivation and engagement, and the development of analytical tools for early identification of risks of decreased academic success in the digital educational environment. The practical significance of the work lies in the substantiation of criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of modern educational formats and the identification of indicators that can be used by university administrations and teachers to monitor the quality of the educational process. The novelty of the study is determined by the integration of objective digital traces of learning activity and subjective assessments of motivation into a unified analytical model, which makes it possible to identify the hidden mechanisms of how the learning format affects educational outcomes and to design more sustainable hybrid trajectories of professional training in the context of the long-term development of the Russian higher education system.