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Version 1.1 – Updated August 2021

Boredom

Overview

  • Influence: Boredom
  • Domain: Student
  • Sub-Domain: Beliefs, attitudes, and dispositions
  • Potential to Accelerate Student Achievement: Likely to have a negative impact
  • Influence Definition: While earlier researchers cited under-stimulation as the cause of boredom in students, the more recent “attentional theory” of boredom postulates that boredom results from a deficit in attention—often the result of a student’s belief in the irrelevance of the subject at hand. When surveyed, however, students often cite proximate causes of boredom (such as an over-use of PowerPoint slides; tasks of low challenge; or when asked to remain passive and listen to others, especially, the talk and talk). Students often cope with boredom by daydreaming, texting, or turning to social media.

Evidence

  • Number of meta-analyses: 3
  • Number of studies: 81
  • Number of students: 30,205
  • Number of effects: 84
  • Effect size: -0.33

Meta-Analyses

Meta-Analyses
Journal Title Author First Author's Country Article Name Year Published Variable Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Effect Size
Educational Psychology Review Tze, Daniels, & Klassen Canada Evaluating the relationship between boredom and academic outcomes: a meta-analysis 2015 Boredom on achievement 29 19,052 29 -0.49
Participant Evaluation Trimble, Patall, & Steingut Collaborative philosophical enquiry for school children: participant evaluation at 11-12 years. 2015 Boredom on achievement 27 0 30 -0.45
Doctoral dissertation Camacho-Morles Australia Collaborative problem solving and academic performance of adolescents: The role of activity achievement emotions 2019 Frustration 25 11,153 25 -0.04
TOTAL/AVERAGE 81 30,205 84 -0.33

Confidence

The Confidence is the average of these four measures, each divided into five approximately equal groups and assigned a value from 1 to 5 based on the following criteria:

  • Number of Meta-analyses
    • 1 = 1
    • 2 = 2–3
    • 3 = 4–6
    • 4 = 7–9
    • 5 = 10+
  • Number of Studies
    • 1 = 1–10
    • 2 = 11–50
    • 3 = 51–200
    • 4 = 201–400
    • 5 = 400+
  • Number of Students
    • 1 = 1–2,500
    • 2 = 2,501–10,000
    • 3 = 10,000–20,000
    • 4 = 20,000–100,000
    • 5 = 100,001+
  • Number of Effects
    • 1 = 1–100
    • 2 = 101–300
    • 3 = 301–600
    • 4 = 601–1,200
    • 5 = 1,200+
Confidences
Number of Meta-Analyses Number of Studies Number of Students Number of Effects Overall Confidence
Confidence Factor 2 3 4 1 3
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