DOI: 10.18848/2327-7955/cgp/a364 ISSN: 2327-8749

Modeling the Relationship Between Symbolic Representations and Expansive English Learning in Specialized Andragogical Contexts

Santos Guilliana García Gil
Show PDF Cite
This study examined the relationships between symbolic representations and Expansive English Learning (EEL) among graduate students at Peruvian universities through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). A structured questionnaire with twenty-one items measuring six dimensions was administered to 228 graduate students from seven public and private universities in the Lambayeque region via probabilistic stratified random sampling. Data analysis via SmartPLS 4.0 was used to assess measurement model validity (convergent and discriminant) and the structural relationships between the constructs. The results demonstrated that all three symbolic representation dimensions significantly predicted Expansive English Learning: Practical Application (β = 0.418, p < 0.001), Symbolic Representation Design (β = 0.382, p < 0.001), and Sociocultural Contextualization (β = 0.341, p < 0.001). The model explained 68.4% of the variance in Expansive English Learning (R² = 0.684), with adequate fit and confirmed predictive relevance. The findings indicate that the practical application of symbolic representations in authentic academic tasks is the most influential factor, followed by design quality and cultural contextualization. The results challenge traditional text-based pedagogies, indicating that systematic integration of visual, graphic, and pictographic elements is associated with graduate-level English language development. This research provides preliminary empirical evidence to inform graduate language programs in Latin American contexts, establishing that those symbolic representations function as central rather than supplementary mechanisms for expansive learning in specialized andragogical environments.

More from our Archive