Boredom in the Omani EFL Context: A Study of Grade 12 Students' Experiences and Perceptions

Abstract

Background: Boredom is a negative academic emotion that can significantly hinder language learning. While international research has explored boredom in various EFL contexts, limited attention has been given to the Omani secondary school setting, particularly among students with weaker English skills and low motivation.
Purpose: This study investigates the experiences and perceptions of boredom among Omani Grade 12 EFL students at the beginning of their second semester of the academic year 2025/2026. It seeks to identify the curriculum-related antecedents of boredom and explore how students perceive its impact on their engagement and learning.
Methodology: A qualitative case study approach was adopted. Participants were 30 male Grade 12 students from the literary section at Hafs bin Rashed School (Grades 10-12) in AL Seeb, Muscat. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Thematic analysis, guided by Braun and Clarke's (2006) framework, was used to analyse the data.
Theoretical Framework: The study is grounded in Pekrun's Control-Value Theory of Achievement Emotions, which explains how students' appraisals of control and value in learning activities influence their emotional experiences, including boredom.
Findings: Analysis reveals that students experience boredom due to several curriculum-related factors: the repetitive nature of textbook activities, perceived irrelevance of themes to their lives, difficulty of language tasks, lack of variety in classroom procedures, and a mismatch between curriculum expectations and their low proficiency levels. These factors map directly onto low control and low value appraisals as theorized by Pekrun.
Conclusion: The study highlights the need for curriculum differentiation and more engaging pedagogical approaches tailored to the needs of less motivated, lower-proficiency learners in Omani secondary schools. The findings also demonstrate the applicability of Control-Value Theory to understanding boredom in the Arab EFL context.