Turn over a new leaf: classroom concordancing and L2 boredom among high school EFL learners

This study investigates the impact of concordancing, a facet of the Data-Driven Learning (DDL) approach, on L2 boredom among high school English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. Using a quasi-experimental design, the research involved 63 Iranian high school students divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group engaged in concordancing activities, while the control group received traditional explicit instruction. Quantitative data from a boredom grid and an L2 boredom questionnaire, complemented by qualitative data from semi-structured interviews, revealed that concordancing significantly reduced L2 boredom compared to traditional instruction. The experimental group’s boredom levels decreased over time, a change attributed to the interactive and student-centered design of DDL instruction. In contrast, the control group’s boredom increased, which was linked to teacher-centered practices and excessive explanations. The study identified four major factors influencing boredom: teacher-related, activity-related, student-related, and class-related. Recommendations include enhancing classroom management, incorporating regular breaks, and adopting engaging, varied, and appropriately challenging activities through DDL to mitigate boredom. Despite limitations such as reliance on self-report measures and a homogeneous sample, the findings highlight DDL’s potential to create a more engaging language learning environment. Future research should explore diverse participant samples and additional individual differences to further validate these results.