1. Introduction

This chapter introduces the background of emotions in educational settings and the recent focus on emotions in second language acquisition. It also identifies the gaps in previous research on the relationships between perceived classroom environment, boredom, and EFL achievement, leading to the introduction of the present study. The study aims to address these gaps using a mixed-methods approach to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the associations between perceived classroom environment, boredom, and EFL achievement. The findings could provide valuable insights for educators to enhance learners' well-being and language achievement.

2. Literature Review

This chapter discusses the literature on perceived classroom environment (PCE) and foreign language learning boredom (FLLB), finding that the PCE has been found to be an important factor influencing students' emotions, including boredom. Various studies have revealed that different elements of the classroom environment such as teacher support, class order, cooperation, student cohesiveness, and task orientation are associated with FLLB. Additionally, research has also looked at the relationship between PCE and language achievement, with inconsistent findings about the impact of PCE on language achievement. Furthermore, the chapter highlights the limited research on the links between boredom and language achievement, with only a few studies focusing on the association between FLLB and EFL achievement, indicating a need for further investigation.

3. Method

This chapter describes the research questions, participants, instruments, data collection, and data analysis. The research questions aim to investigate the associations between perceived classroom environment, foreign language learning boredom, and EFL achievement. The participants were 270 senior high school students, and the instruments included a composite questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The data was collected through pen-paper questionnaires and audio-recorded interviews. Data analysis included statistical analyses using SPSS for the quantitative part and thematic analysis using NVivo for the qualitative part.

4. Results

The chapter discusses the quantitative results of the study, including reliability of the scales, bivariate correlations, and the path analysis with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. The bivariate correlations showed significant relationships between perceived classroom environment, foreign language learning boredom, and EFL achievement. The path analysis revealed that teacher support, task orientation, and class order significantly and negatively influenced boredom, which in turn significantly and negatively influenced English achievement. The mediation analysis showed that foreign language learning boredom fully mediated the influence of teacher support and task orientation on English achievement. The qualitative results from the semi-structured interview indicated the antecedents of foreign language learning boredom, the influence of foreign language learning boredom on English achievement, and the direct and indirect influence of perceived classroom environment on English achievement. The qualitative analyses also revealed that teacher support, task orientation, and cooperation were important factors affecting foreign language learning boredom. Seven out of nine students indicated that their boredom experience played a significant role between their perceptions of their English teacher’s support and their English achievement.

5. Discussion

The results suggest that general PCE, FLLB, and English achievement were significantly correlated. General PCE, including teacher support, class order, cooperation, and task orientation, was negatively correlated with boredom and positively associated with achievement. Boredom was found to be negatively related to EFL achievement. Components of PCE were significantly correlated with boredom and English achievement. Teacher support, task orientation, and class order significantly influenced boredom. None of the components of PCE directly and significantly influenced English achievement, and boredom was found to significantly and negatively influence English achievement. Boredom was found to fully mediate the influence of teacher support and task orientation on English achievement, as well as to be a full mediating effect of boredom underlying the effect of task orientation on students’ achievement.

6. Implications, Limitations, and Directions for Future Studies

This chapter discusses the implications, limitations, and future directions of the study. The study uncovers the mediating role of boredom between perceived classroom environment and English achievement, extending the nomological network of foreign language learning boredom. It provides evidence-based interventions for FL teachers to decrease boredom and boost students’ EFL learning achievement. However, the study is limited by its cross-sectional nature, convenience sampling, and potential social desirability bias. Future studies could investigate the direct influence of classroom environment on boredom, confirm the mediating role of boredom in other educational contexts, and explore the reciprocal influence between classroom environment, emotions, and learning outcomes.

7. Conclusion

The present study investigated the relationships between perceived classroom environment, foreign language learning boredom, and English achievement as well as the mediating role of boredom between perceived classroom environment and English achievement of Chinese EFL learners. The study found that general PCE was negatively correlated with boredom and positively correlated with achievement. Boredom was found to fully mediate the influence of teacher support and task orientation on English achievement. The study contributes to the literature by offering a detailed insight into the connections between perceived classroom environment, foreign language learning boredom, EFL achievement, and the mediating role of boredom.