INVESTIGATING ACADEMIC BOREDOM AND COPING STRATEGIES AMONG ENGLISH MAJOR STUDENTS AT NONG LAM UNIVERSITY, HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18173/2354-1075.2024-0061Keywords:
cognitive approach, behavioral approach, boredom, coping strategies, EFL studentsAbstract
The present study examined the strategies used by English major students to cope with boredom at Nong Lam University in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A total of 427 students from 7 batches (2016-2022) participated in the study. The data from a questionnaire was collected and analyzed through SPSS version 22.0. The Multidimensional State Boredom Scale (MSBS) was used to assess levels of academic boredom, while the Coping with Boredom Scale (CBS) measured students' boredom coping strategies. It was found that the participants experienced moderate levels of boredom, with Inattention and Disengagement as the main contributing factors. The most frequently used coping strategies were the cognitive approach and behavioral approach. There was no significant distinction between male and female students in terms of using coping boredom strategies. Correlations between boredom aspects and coping strategies were also examined using correlational analysis. Pedagogical recommendations for ESP lecturers were also discussed in the paper.
Downloads
References
[1] Amerstorfer CM & Freiin von Münster-Kistner C, (2021). “Student perceptions of academic engagement and student-teacher relationships in problem-based learning”. Frontiers in Psychology, 12.
[2] Bekker CI, Rothmann S & Kloppers MM, (2023). “The happy learner: Effects of academic boredom, burnout, and engagement”. Frontiers in Psychology, 13.
[3] Kim HJ, Hong AJ & Song HD, (2019). “The roles of academic engagement and digital readiness in students’ achievements in university e-learning environments”. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16(1), 1–18.
[4] Mann S & Robinson A, (2009). “Boredom in the lecture theatre: An investigation into the contributors, moderators and outcomes of boredom amongst university students”. British Educational Research Journal, 35(2), 243–258.
[5] Yacek DW & Gary K, (2022). “The uses and abuses of boredom in the classroom”. British Educational Research Journal, August 2022, 126–141. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3833
[6] Abdellatif MS, (2022). “Modeling the Relationships Between Academic Boredom, Self-Compassion, and Quality of Academic Life Among University Students”. SAGE Open, 12(4), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221141703.
[7] Pekrun R, Goetz T, Daniels LM, Stupnisky RH & Perry RP, (2010). “Boredom in achievement settings: Exploring control–value antecedents and performance outcomes of a neglected emotion”. Journal of Educational Psychology, 102(3), 531.
[8] Chapman KE, (2013). “Boredom in the German foreign language classroom”. The University of Wisconsin-Madison.
[9] Lee JS & Lee K, (2020). “Affective factors, virtual intercultural experiences, and L2 willingness to communicate in in-class, out-of-class, and digital settings”. Language Teaching Research, 24(6), 813–833.
[10] Derakhshan A, Kruk M, Mehdizadeh M & Pawlak, M, (2021). “Boredom in online classes in the Iranian EFL context: Sources and solutions”. System, 101, 102556.
[11] Kruk M, Pawlak M & Zawodniak J, (2021). “Another look at boredom in language instruction: The role of the predictable and the unexpected”. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 11(1), 15–40.
[12] Pawlak M, Zawodniak J & Kruk M, (2020). “Boredom in the foreign language classroom: A micro-perspective”. Second Language Learning and Teaching, June, 1–116. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50769-5.
[13] Zawodniak J & Kruk M, (2018). “Boredom in practical English language classes: Insights from interview data”. Interdisciplinary Views on the English Language, Literature and Culture, July, 77–191.
[14] Li C, Dewaele JM, & Hu Y, (2023). “Foreign language learning boredom: Conceptualization and measurement”. Applied Linguistics Review, 14(2), 223–249.
[15] Nakamura S, Darasawang P & Reinders H, (2021). “The antecedents of boredom in L2 classroom learning”. System, 98, 102469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102469.
[16] Oroujlou N & Vahedi M, (2011). “Motivation, attitude, and language learning”. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 29, 994–1000. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.11.333.
[17] Renandya WA, (2013). “Essential factors affecting EFL learning outcomes”. English Teaching, 68(4), 23–41.
[18] Phan ALT, Vo VV & Nguyen HL, (2024). “Factors Contributing to Academic Boredom among English-Major Students at Nong Lam University Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam”. Vietnam Journal of Education, 38–50. https://doi.org/10.52296/vje.2024.350.
[19] Getie AS, (2020). “Factors affecting the attitudes of students towards learning English as a foreign language”. Cogent Education, 7(1), 1738184.
[20] Tze VMC, Klassen RM, Daniels LM, Li JCH & Zhang X, (2013). “A Cross-Cultural Validation of the Learning-Related Boredom Scale (LRBS) With Canadian and Chinese College Students”. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 31(1), 29–40. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282912443670
[21] Eren A & Coskun H, (2016). “Students’ level of boredom, boredom coping strategies, epistemic curiosity, and graded performance”. Journal of Educational Research, 109(6), 574–588. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2014.999364.
[22] Wegner L, Flisher A J, Chikobvu P, Lombard C & King G, (2008). “Leisure boredom and high school dropout in Cape Town, South Africa”. Journal of Adolescence, 31(3), 421–431.
[23] Mann S& Robinson A, (2009). “Boredom in the lecture theatre: An investigation into the contributors, moderators and outcomes of boredom amongst university students”. British Educational Research Journal, 35(2), 243–258.
[24] Nett UE, Goetz T & Daniels LM, (2010). “What to do when feeling bored? Students’ strategies for coping with boredom”. Learning and Individual Differences, 20(6), 626–638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2010.09.004.
[25] Tze MC, (2015). “An Evaluation of Boredom in Academic Contexts”. 1–178. https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/692f5f75-2287-4c66-9351-0589121f45be
[26] Solhi M, (2021). “University students’ multidimensional state boredom and strategies to cope with classroom boredom”. Journal of Language and Education, 7(2), 204–222. https://doi.org/10.17323/JLE.2021.12256.
[27] Fahlman SA, Mercer-Lynn KB, Flora DB & Eastwood JD, (2013). “Development and validation of the multidimensional state boredom scale”. Assessment, 20(1), 68–85.
[28] Zawodniak J, Kruk M & Chumas J, (2017). “Towards conceptualizing boredom as an emotion in the EFL academic context”. Konin Language Studies, 5(4), 425–441.