Teacher boredom and student motivation in Korean EFL context: Student boredom as a mediator

Recently, in the field of SLA(second language acquisition), there exists a number of studies investigating the psychological dimensions of emotions. However, there is limited research on the impact of EFL teachers' boredom on both students' boredom and L2(second language) learning motivation. The present study investigated the state of boredom experienced by Korean EFL teachers in L2 classrooms and the mediating effect of student boredom on the relationship between students' perception of teacher boredom and student motivation in the Korean L2 context. Questionnaires were administered to female high school students (n = 398) in Korea and a mixed method was conducted to their English teacher (n = 5). Teaching the same content repeatedly and student boredom significantly contributed to English teacher boredom. Students' perception of teacher boredom exhibited a positive correlation with student boredom, while student boredom displayed a negative association with student learning motivation. However, even if students perceive instructors' boredom, the likelihood of it leading to demotivation is highly dependent on whether or not students themselves feel bored. This finding suggests that there was a weaker association between students' perception of teacher boredom and their L2 motivation, but it is plausible that teacher boredom still has a negative impact on students' motivation. Findings are discussed in light of understanding emotional crossover between students and teachers and L2 teachers should be mindful of their own emotional regulation. Theoretical and pedagogical implications are discussed, followed by directions for future research.