MANAGING DIGITAL LEARNING CULTURES: ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT, POLICY, AND MOTIVATION IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROGRAMS

Abstract

Digital transformation has become a structural feature of higher education, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. In Pakistan, English language programs occupy a strategic position in this transformation because they mediate academic literacy, multilingual communication and the use of learning management systems, video-conferencing tools and AI-mediated writing support. Yet research suggests that sustainable digital learning cultures do not emerge from technology provision alone but depend on institutional support, coherent policy and teachers’ motivation. This study investigates how organizational support, institutional digital policy and autonomous motivation interact to shape digital learning cultures in English language programs across universities in Punjab, Pakistan. Guided by a sociocultural–ecological perspective and Self-Determination Theory, an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was adopted. Survey data from 212 English language teachers in eight universities were analysed using structural equation modelling, followed by semi-structured interviews with 24 teachers and document analysis of institutional digital policies. Results show that perceived organizational support and policy clarity significantly predict digital teaching competence and participation in shared digital practices. Autonomous motivation mediates the relationships between institutional conditions and digital teaching outcomes. Qualitative findings highlight tensions between aspirational policy discourse and infrastructural constraints but also reveal resilient micro-cultures of collaboration within English language units. The article proposes a model of managed digital learning cultures for Pakistani higher education and offers context-sensitive implications for university leadership, policy-makers and language educators.