Educators can’t just blame classroom boredom on students’ lack of interest. Through time, energy and planning, we must find ways to emotionally engage our students and ensure that they are learning what is being taught rather than just regurgitating information back at us for an exam. It is our role as educators to create a stimulating learning environment, and research is showing that this is beneficial for both our students and ourselves.
Academic boredom is detrimental to academic success as it hinders learning. Students who find their classes boring are easily distracted and more likely to skip class and so ultimately miss out on deep learning.
Boredom is common but not a given. To counteract it, educators can foster emotional connections between their students and learning to increase engagement and mitigate its negative effects.
In this, the second of three articles about how emotions can promote greater student engagement and learning, Dr Amanda Bourgeois, Alexandra Osika, and Professor Annemaree Carroll from The University of Queensand's Learning Lab look at practical actions teachers can take to tackle student boredom.
