The Mediating Effect of Languange Based Approach on the Relationship Between Students’ Motivation and Cognitive Engagement

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of motivation of students, the level of cognitive engagement, and the level of language-based approach using the Filipino language. The study also aimed to identify the significant relationships between variables: students' motivation and cognitive engagement, learners' motivation and language-based approach learning, and language-based approach learning and cognitive engagement. The research used a non-experimental quantitative research design with a descriptive approach. Simple random sampling was used to determine the number of pupils per campus, and stratified sampling was used to generate the number of respondents in each branch of the school. Data were collected from 435 students with Filipino subjects from three selected private schools through a survey questionnaire. The collected data from the questionnaire were analyzed using mean, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, and linear regression. Results showed that students' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation levels both achieved high levels. Additionally, the results for the level of cognitive engagement, including suggestive interactions with members, constructive notetaking, active note-taking, active processing, and passive processing, still obtained an overall high level, indicating that respondents often displayed these behaviors. Moreover, passive processing emerged as the predictor of cognitive engagement. The level of language-based also achieved a high level, indicating that respondents often exhibited it. Finally, each variable was clearly evaluated, and the results showed that student motivation, cognitive engagement, and the use of the language-based approach were interconnected. Based on the results, student motivation and cognitive engagement are affected by the language-based approach, but this effect is indirect and depends on the strategy used.