Comparing Boredom Proneness in Traditional and Virtual English Classes

Positive emotions are increasingly being studied in the acquisition and teaching of second or foreign languages. Still, negative emotions are also present all the time and need to be given attention. This paper focuses on boredom, a concept that has been studied in educational psychology but has received little consideration from academics studying foreign language learning. The present study aimed to compare the amount of boredom experienced in traditional to that of the virtual classrooms. To obtain the research objective, a quantitative non-experimental research approach was chosen, including a survey design. The translated version of the Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS) was used to collect data from the participants. This study was conducted with 120 female high school students, divided into two 60-member groups. One group was instructed to answer the items for the traditional classroom, while the second group was instructed to answer the items for the virtual one. An independent t-test was implemented, and the results indicated that the two groups experienced approximately the same level of boredom, with the traditional class scoring slightly higher. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Lessons for teachers and teacher educators are discussed in light of the findings in order to enhance both traditional and online English instruction.