Testing the predictors of boredom at school: Development and validation of the precursors to boredom scales

摘要

Boredom has been found to be an important emotion for students' learning processes and achievement outcomes; however, the precursors of this emotion remain largely unexplored. Aim.In the current study, scales assessing the precursors to boredom in academic achievement settings were developed and tested. Sample.Participants were 1,380 grade 5-10 students in mathematics classes. Method.The Precursors to Boredom Scales were tested for structural and convergent validity with multi-level confirmatory factor analyses (ML-CFA), and differences in the perception of the precursors of boredom due to gender were investigated. Results.The first ML-CFA found support for the structural validity of the Precursors to Boredom Scales. In a second ML-CFA, the newly developed boredom scales showed good convergent validity with several key aspects of instructional quality. Finally, the results supported previous research that found no gender differences in academic self-concept and interest. Conclusion.The precursors contained in our scales are empirically separable. Implications of the current findings for research on boredom among students are discussed