The exit examination from upper-secondary school represents an essential part of the educational trajectory. However, the transition to the labour market or higher education can be complicated by failure. The qualitative study deals with repeatedly unsuccessful students who have struggled to pass the Czech exit exam called the Matura examination.…

The aim of our paper is to explore the predictor variables of autonomous use of technology (Benson, 2011) in relation to second language learning. To this end, we explored motivated learning behavior (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2021), self-efficacy (Bandura, 1986) and several language learning-related emotions, such as enjoyment, pride, hope,…

Building on the control-value theory, the present study examined the independent and joint predictive effects of three emotions--enjoyment, anxiety, and boredom--on L2 achievement over time. The participants of the study were a group of junior secondary English learners in rural China, a population that has hitherto never featured in L2 learning…

The Programme for International Student Assessment, carried out every three years by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development across a large number of countries and economies, have shown that socioeconomically disadvantaged students are almost three times more likely than advantaged students not to attain the baseline level of…

Important factors in learning science include motivational variables (relevance of science learning for personal goals, self-efficacy for learning science, and interest in a scientific career), emotional variables (boredom and enjoyment in science classes), and engagement variables (vigor, dedication, and absorption towards science studies). Data…

Recently, there has been a rapid growth in the number of studies related to emotions and positive psychology constructs in language teaching and learning. However, there is scant research in the context of low exposure to English. Thus, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between Thai EFL secondary school learners' L2 positive and…

This qualitative study examines amotivation in South Korean EFL students through the lens of activity theory. Using semi-structured interviews, data were collected from six elementary and secondary school students, aged 10 to 16 years (Grades 4 to 10), to explore key psychological constructs, including the ideal L2 self, the ought-to L2 self, the…

This study diverges from conventional psychological perspectives that often concentrate on language learning deficiencies necessitating remedial interventions. Instead, it emphasizes the pivotal role of positive psychological constructs in facilitating optimal language development, particularly in contexts characterized by limited exposure to…

A growing body of research demonstrates that school climate is associated with adolescent mental health. Much of the extant literature have focused on identifying risk factors for adverse mental health outcomes, whereas much less work has been done examining factors that are important to foster adolescents' strengths and thereby increase the…

Existing studies on L2 motivation have established a significant association between ideal self, learning engagement, and academic achievement, but few have examined the internal relationships between these variables in the L2 writing domain. In addition, students' linguistic competence, a fundamental element of writing achievement, remains…

The coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt education in unprecedented ways. The first school closures in Ireland took place in March 2020, affecting many students, but especially those who were preparing for their end-of-school Leaving Certificate (LC) examinations. The aim of this study was to assess the extent to which COVID-19 had impacted…

This study examined students' genetics learning in a game-based environment by exploring the connections between the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation and flow theory. A total of 394 secondary school students were recruited and learned genetics concepts through interacting with a game-based learning environment. We measured their…

Background: Boredom during learning activities has the potential of impeding attention, motivation, learning and eventually achievement. Yet, research focusing on its possible antecedents seems to have received less attention especially within the physics domain. Based on assumptions of the Control Value Theory of Achievement Emotions (CVTAE),…

This study aimed at investigating on factors affecting the attitudes of grade 10 students towards learning EFL in Debremarkos Comprehensive Secondary School in Debre Markos town, Ethiopia. The researcher randomly selected 103 sample students (10%) out of the total population (1030) for the study. In order to gather data, a questionnaire was…

The experience of academic boredom among students may be universal; in fact, almost all students complain at least occasionally about being bored in class or while studying. Despite the perceived negative influence of boredom on learning, there has been no synthesis of empirical findings underscoring how boredom relates to academic outcomes.…