Being bored at school: Trajectories and academic outcomes

Abstract The emotion of boredom is commonly experienced by students. Nevertheless, hardly any research has focused on the evolution of this emotion over time by also considering individual differences. The aim of this study was to identify groups of students with different trajectories of boredom over a school year, and compare these profiles on academic achievement, motivation and intention to drop out. Participants were 546 students (55% male, 94% born in Italy, Mage = 14.24, SDage = 0.53). We found four trajectories of boredom: starting not bored and (a) increasing, or (b) rearing up; starting bored and (c) decreasing, or (d) maintaining. Trajectories of boredom were related to academic outcomes both at the beginning and at the end of the school year, with students showing a steep increase reporting the most detrimental outcomes. The results are discussed in terms of their educational and practical implications, as they emphasize the need to pay attention to an emotion that is often overlooked in the school context.