A systematic review of research approaches on academic emotions in university students

University students who are learning (in) a second language (L2) experience a wide range of academic emotions. We investigate how these emotions are conceptualized, measured, and reported in the current literature. This pre-registered systematic review examines how L2 academic emotions are assessed among university students, focusing on methodological approaches, emotion measurement features, and psychometric reporting practices. Two rounds of database searches were conducted in August 2024 and March 2026. A total of 247 articles comprising 248 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies employed observational ( k = 188, 75.8%) and cross-sectional ( k = 178, 71.8%) designs. Anxiety ( k = 211, 85.1%) was the most frequently studied emotion, typically conceptualized as specific to episodes such as tests and speaking in the L2. Enjoyment ( k = 62, 25.0%) and boredom ( k = 23, 9.3%) were relatively less studied, and other emotions (e.g., anger, hope) remained underexamined. Among studies that used frequently observed emotion measures (i.e., used in three or more included studies), most of them reported reliability but rarely validity. Building on the growing research interest, this review highlights the need for greater methodological diversification, broader coverage of different emotions, as well as more rigorous reporting of measurement adaptation and validity evidence. These recommendations provide practical directions for researchers aiming to advance the conceptualization and measurement of academic emotions related to both learning in an L2 and acquiring an L2.