Investigation of Physiological Signals as Indicators of Engagement Across Different Teaching Strategies

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of various teaching strategies on second language learners' physiological response and engagement state. the research explores physiological response through heart rate variability (HRV) signals and engagement detection. Seven adult participants were involved in three distinct teaching strategies (video explanations, quizzes, and AI interactions), while HRV data measured using Photoplethysmography (PPG) and engagement levels condition measured using image-based techniques. Results indicate that engagement correlates with HRV features such as RMSSD, SDNN, and pNN50, with higher HRV linked to not engagements result. Although ANOVA analysis showed no statistically significant differences across strategies, Moderate effect sizes indicate the presence of subtle physiological responses. These findings highlight the potential of physiological indicators in optimizing adaptive teaching methodologies for second language acquisition. Future work should extend the teaching variation and participants.