Boredom and Coping Strategies in Online Classes among College Students: A Survey from the Philippines
pp. 25-40 | Published Online: October 2023 | DOI: 10.22521/unibulletin.2023.121.2
Louie Giray , Jamaicah Jane Sandoval , Enzzel Kim Ambas , Ma. Annie Bonador , Mark John Recaplaza
Full text PDF | 542 | 298
Abstract
Background/purpose – This study explored Filipino college students’ boredom in online higher education and the coping strategies they employed. Materials/methods – The study involved surveying 166 students who were enrolled to various online courses across multiple universities and college programs in Metro Manila, Philippines, following the pandemic lockdown. We adopted a non-experimental, cross-sectional approach and utilized a questionnaire adapted from various survey instruments. The collected data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results – The majority of the participant students claimed that online classes were more boring than in-person classes, citing the instructor’s personality, the quality of education, and their own personal attitude as contributory factors. The college students experienced boredom during online classes, with class-related boredom being the most significant. They stated that their minds would wander, and they would feel tired and sleepy during online classes. Their preferred approach to deal with boredom was cognitive, where they reminded themselves of the importance of the class. However, the least preferred approach was behavioral, choosing not to ask their instructors if they could do something different. As per their expectations, they wanted online education to be interesting and enjoyable. Conclusion – The study reveals a high prevalence of boredom among students during online higher education classes, indicating a need for improvements in online course design and delivery. The findings also provide valuable insight into the unique challenges faced by students and their experiences in the Philippine context, and could be used to guide policy and program development to address academic boredom and improve the overall online learning experience. |
Keywords: boredom, academic boredom, coping strategies, online classes, class-related boredom, Filipino students
ReferencesAcee, T. W., Kim, H., Kim, H. J., Kim, J.-I., Chu, H.-N. R., Kim, M., Cho, Y., Wicker, F. W., & The Boredom Research Group. (2010). Academic boredom in under-and over-challenging situations. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 35(1), 17-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2009.08.002
Aristovnik, A., Keržič, D., Ravšelj, D., Tomaževič, N., & Umek, L. (2020). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on life of higher education students: A global perspective. Sustainability, 12(20), Article 8438. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208438
Baltà-Salvador, R., Olmedo-Torre, N., Peña, M., & Renta-Davids, A. I. (2021). Academic and emotional effects of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic on engineering students. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 7407-7434. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10593-1
Barrot, J. S., Llenares, I. I., & Del Rosario, L. S. (2021). Students’ online learning challenges during the pandemic and how they cope with them: The case of the Philippines. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 7321-7338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10589-x
Chansaengsee, S. (2023). Boredom in online activity during COVID-19 outbreak causing dysfunctional behaviors of adolescent students: phenomenological study to the creation of virtual reality classroom. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 38, 1749-1770. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-022-00673-2
Cui, G., Yao, M., & Zhang, X. (2017). The dampening effects of perceived teacher enthusiasm on class-related boredom: The mediating role of perceived autonomy support and task value. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, Article 400. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00400
Derakhshan, A., Kruk, M., Mehdizadeh, M., & Pawlak, M. (2021). Boredom in online classes in the Iranian EFL context: Sources and solutions. System, 101, Article 102556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2021.102556
Entwistle, N., McCune, V., & Hounsell, J. (2002). Approaches to studying and perceptions of university teaching-learning environments: Concepts, measures and preliminary findings. University of Edinburgh. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.33594.80329
Eren, A. (2016). Unidirectional cycles of boredom, boredom coping strategies, and engagement among prospective teachers. Social Psychology of Education, 19(4), 895-924. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-016-9348-8
Eren, A., & Coskun, H. (2016). Students’ level of boredom, boredom coping strategies, epistemic curiosity, and graded performance. The Journal of Educational Research, 109(6), 574-588. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2014.999364
Finkielsztein, M. (2020). Class-related academic boredom among university students: A qualitative research on boredom coping strategies. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 44(8), 1098-1113. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2019.1658729
Ghensi, B. L., Skues, J. L., Sharp, J. L., & Wise, L. Z. (2021). Antecedents and effects of boredom among university students: An integrated conditional process model. Higher Education, 81, 1115-1132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-020-00602-6
Giray, L., Asuncion, M. K. C., Edem, J., Gumalin, D. L., Jacob, J., & Lucero, S. M. (2023). Positive and negative lessons from hidden curriculum at a Philippine state university. Educational Process, 12(1), 71-93. https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2023.121.5
Giray, L., Gumalin, D., Jacob, J., & Villacorta, K. (2022). Exploring the online learning experience of Filipino college students during covid-19 pandemic. Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun, 10(1), 227-250. https://doi.org/10.26811/peuradeun.v10i1.691
Guner, H. (2021). Moderator effect of COVID-19 fear on “mediating role of boredom proneness in relationship between Internet addiction and DASS-21”. Educational Process, 10(23), 83-99. https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2021.102.5
Hu, Y.-H. (2022). Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the online learning behaviors of university students in Taiwan. Education and Information Technologies, 27(1), 469-491. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10677-y
Huang, Q., & Zheng, X. (2022). How should teachers tackle students’ boredom in the emergency online language class? Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 1031515. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1031515
Kanevsky, L., & Keighley, T. (2003). To produce or not to produce? Understanding boredom and the honor in underachievement. Roeper Review, 26(1), 20-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783190309554235
Karakose, T. (2021). Emergency remote teaching due to COVID-19 pandemic and potential risks for socioeconomically disadvantaged students in higher education. Educational Process, 10(3), 53-62. https://doi.org/10.22521/edupij.2021.103.4
Kop, R., Fournier, H., & Mak, J. S. F. (2011). A pedagogy of abundance or a pedagogy to support human beings? Participant support on massive open online courses. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 12(7), 74-93. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v12i7.1041
Kruk, M., Pawlak, M., Shirvan, M. E., & Shahnama, M. (2022). The emergence of boredom in an online language class: an ecological perspective. System, 107, Article 102803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2022.102803
Male, H., Murniarti, E., Simatupang, M. S., Siregar, J., Sihotang, H., & Gunawan, R. (2020). Atittude of undergraduate students towards online learning during covid-19 pandemic. PalArch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 17(4), 1628-1637. https://archives.palarch.nl/index.php/jae/article/view/1746/1737
Nakamura, S., Darasawang, P., & Reinders, H. (2021). A practitioner study on the implementation of strategy instruction for boredom regulation. Language Teaching Research. 13621688211010272. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211010272
Nett, U. E., Goetz, T., & Hall, N. C. (2011). Coping with boredom in school: An experience sampling perspective. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36(1), 49-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2010.10.003
Parker, P. C., Perry, R. P., Hamm, J. M., Chipperfield, J. G., Pekrun, R., Dryden, R. P., Daniels, L. M., & Tze, V. M. (2021). A motivation perspective on achievement appraisals, emotions, and performance in an online learning environment. International Journal of Educational Research, 108, 101772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.101772
Pawlak, M., Derakhshan, A., Mehdizadeh, M., & Kruk, M. (2021). Boredom in online English language classes: Mediating variables and coping strategies. Language Teaching Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211064944
Pregitzer, M., & Clements, S. N. (2013). Bored with the core: Stimulating student interest in online general education. Educational Media International, 50(3), 162-176. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523987.2013.8315
Raffaelli, Q., Mills, C., & Christoff, K. (2018). The knowns and unknowns of boredom: A review of the literature. Experimental Brain Research, 236, 2451-2462. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-017-4922-7
Sharp, J. G., Hemmings, B., Kay, R., & Sharp, J. C. (2019). Academic boredom and the perceived course experiences of final year Education Studies students at university. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 43(5), 601-627. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2017.1386287
Sharp, J. G., Zhu, X., Matos, M., & Sharp, J. C. (2021). The Academic Boredom Survey Instrument (ABSI): a measure of trait, state and other characteristic attributes for the exploratory study of student engagement. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(9), 1253-1280. https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2021.1947998
Singh, M., Adebayo, S. O., Saini, M., & Singh, J. (2021). Indian government E-learning initiatives in response to COVID-19 crisis: A case study on online learning in Indian higher education system. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 7569-7607. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10585-1
Solhi, M., Derakhshan, A., & Ünsal, B. (2023). Associations between EFL students’ L2 grit, boredom coping strategies, and emotion regulation strategies: a structural equation modeling approach. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2023.2175834
Solhi, M., & Önen, S. (2023). University students’ level of boredom and their coping strategies in emergency remote education during the coronavirus pandemic. International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 33(1), 52-70. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJIL.2023.127950
Tzafilkou, K., Perifanou, M., & Economides, A. A. (2021). Negative emotions, cognitive load, acceptance, and self-perceived learning outcome in emergency remote education during COVID-19. Education and Information Technologies, 26(6), 7497-7521. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-021-10604-1
Tze, V. M., Daniels, L. M., & Klassen, R. M. (2016). Evaluating the relationship between boredom and academic outcomes: A meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 28(1), 119-144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9301-y
Tze, V. M., Daniels, L. M., Klassen, R. M., & Li, J. C.-H. (2013). Canadian and Chinese university students’ approaches to coping with academic boredom. Learning and Individual Differences, 23, 32-43.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2012.10.015
Willging, P. A., & Johnson, S. D. (2009). Factors that influence students’ decision to dropout of online courses. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 13(3), 115-127. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v13i3.1659
Xie, J., Xu, J., Wei, T., Gallo, K., Giles, M. E., Zhan, Y., Zeng, Y., Huang, X., & Liu, X. (2022). Contributing factors, attribution, and coping in academic boredom: An exploratory case study of graduate Students in Education. Adult Learning, 33(3), 99-113. https://doi.org/10.1177/1045159520987304
Yazdanmehr, E., Elahi Shirvan, M., & Saghafi, K. (2021). A process tracing study of the dynamic patterns of boredom in an online L3 course of German during COVID‐19 pandemic. Foreign Language Annals, 54(3), 714-739. https://doi.org/10.1111/flan.12548
UNIBULLETIN News!
► New issue coming soon! (Volume 13 Issue 2, 2024)
► Call for Papers
UNIBULLETIN is calling for submissions. Authors are invited to submit papers from the all fields of the Education (General) and Social Sciences (General) in the international context. All submissions should be presented only in English.