Abstract

This descriptive review synthesizes theoretical and empirical evidence on the relationship between psychological safety and learning engagement among university students in the digital technology context. Drawing on international and Vietnamese literature, the paper argues that psychological safety enables students to take interpersonal risks, ask questions, disclose difficulties, test ideas, seek feedback, and sustain participation in learning. This relationship operates through four mechanisms: reducing fear of negative evaluation, strengthening belonging and social presence, satisfying needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and building digital trust. Digital technologies expand learning opportunities while also creating risks such as surveillance, data traceability, public embarrassment, unequal access, assessment anxiety, and unclear AI-use rules. The paper proposes an analytical framework and implications for designing psychologically safe digital learning environments that foster Vietnamese university students’ engagement.

Keywords: Psychological safety, learning engagement, university students, digital learning, online learning, social presence, generative artificial intelligence.