The Interplay of EFL Students' Enjoyment, Hope, Pride and Self-Regulation

The effect of anxiety on sleep disorders in medical students: a moderated mediation model

The relationship between anxiety and sleep disorders is a key research topic in the academic community. However, evidence on the mechanism through which anxiety influences sleep disorders remains limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the roles of flourishing and neuroticism in the mechanism through which anxiety influences sleep disorders in medical students. We constructed a moderated mediation model and tested the mediating role of flourishing and the moderating role of neuroticism in medical college students. The results showed that: (1) anxiety was significantly and positively related to sleep disorders and significantly and negatively related to flourishing; flourishing was significantly and negatively related to sleep disorders; neuroticism was significantly and positively related to sleep disorders; (2) flourishing had a mediation effect on the relationship between anxiety and sleep disorders; (3) neuroticism moderated the process through which flourishing mediated the effect of anxiety on sleep disorders. Our research expands the literature on the mechanism underlying the effects of anxiety on sleep disorders and provides insights into the potential prevention and intervention of sleep and emotional problems in medical students.

Positive emotions, self-regulatory capacity, and EFL performance in the Chinese senior high school context

Previous research on English as a foreign language (EFL) learning has predominantly focused on negative emotions such as anxiety and boredom, neglecting positive emotions. Self-regulation, a cognitive factor, has emerged as a key construct of positive psychology in recent years. However, few studies have examined the mechanisms by which positive emotions influence EFL performance, especially through cognitive factors. Given the high-stakes nature of Chinese college entrance examination and Chinese culture's value on effort, Chinese senior high school students may experience distinct EFL emotions. Therefore, this study, based on the control-value theory (CVT), explored the potential mediating role of self-regulatory capacity (boredom, awareness, goal, and emotion controls) in the relationship between the three focal positive emotions (enjoyment, hope, and pride) and EFL performance among Chinese senior high school students. A paper-and-pencil questionnaire survey was administered to 330 Chinese third-year senior high school students (male: n = 159; female: n = 171). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and mediation analysis with SPSS 26 and PROCESS V3.3. The results indicated that the students reported low levels of enjoyment and pride, moderate levels of hope, low levels of awareness, goal, and emotion controls, and moderate levels of boredom control. The results also revealed significant and large associations among the three positive emotions, the four components of self-regulatory capacity, and EFL performance. Furthermore, the results suggested that self-regulatory capacity partially mediated the effect of positive emotions on EFL performance, supporting the CVT framework. The study concluded with implications for educators and suggestions for future research.

Effects of self-regulation strategies on EFL learners' language learning motivation, willingness to communication, self-efficacy, and creativity

This study tried to know how self-regulation strategies (SRS) affected the motivation, self-efficacy, willingness to communicate (WTC), and creativity of Chinese EFL learners as they learned English language. To do this, eighty intermediate EFL students were selected and divided into two groups: experimental and control. Four questionnaires were then used to assess the participants' motivation for language acquisition, WTC, self-efficacy, and creativity prior to the intervention. Subsequently, SRS was used to treat the experimental group (EG), whereas a traditional instruction was given to the control group (CG) without the use of SRSs. Four questionnaires were given again as post-tests following a 15-session treatment to gauge how the treatment affected the students' motivation for language acquisition, WTC, self-efficacy, and creativity. Based on the study's results, the EG considerably outstripped the CG on each of the four post-tests. The findings of this research have some implications for researchers, English teachers, EFL learners, and other stakeholders.

Positive Influence of Cooperative Learning and Emotion Regulation on EFL Learners' Foreign Language Enjoyment

This study approaches foreign language enjoyment (FLE) through the lenses of positive psychology, and in particular, examines how enjoyment is affected by emotion regulation (ER) and two factors concerning cooperative learning (CL) in a classroom climate, namely positive goal interdependence (PGI) and peer personal support (PPS). To achieve this goal, 115 Chinese university freshmen (male 47; female 68) aged between 18 to 20 (M = 18.69; SD = 0.65) were invited to complete a questionnaire. Regression analyses revealed a clear three-factor structure determining the FLE of students learning English as a foreign language (EFL), which are ER, PGI that highlights cooperation, and PPS that emphasizes the interpersonal relationship between peers. It also showed that PGI and PPS significantly influence each other while positively and jointly shaping FLE. The findings suggest that university EFL students with higher ER abilities are more likely to obtain enjoyment in the learning process and that positive interdependence and interpersonal support during CL also play an effective role in deciding students' FLE. The study not only confirms the importance of ER and CL which may lead to high-level learning enjoyment, but also provides practical implications for the realization of an enjoyable second language acquisition (SLA) experience.

The Effect of on Educational Technology on EFL Learners' Self-Efficacy

This paper aimed at investigating the related studies on educational technology and its effect on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learner self-efficacy. Earlier studies have proved the positive and significant relationship between learner self-efficacy and educational technology use. Investigations have revealed that improving learners’ dynamic mindsets, online interaction, self-assessment, academic knowledge, and positive affectivity can increase learner self-efficacy. Moreover, the provision of the encouraging context can help develop learners’ self-efficacy in technology-supported education. Furthermore, the study presented the implications and future directions of this line of research for different people, such as EFL teachers, teacher educators, and foreign language scholars. The ideas can improve their awareness of learner self-efficacy in technology-supported educational contexts and its role in L2 education.

How Does the Optimism of Students Learning a Foreign Language Affect Their Creative Self-Efficacy? The Mediating Effects of Hope and Empathy

Creative self-efficacy (CSE) is a core influencer of creative behavior and has a positive impact on well-being and development. However, the positive psychological processes that help to promote CSE in foreign-language learning (FLL) remain under-studied. Focusing specifically on FLL students, the present study examined the associations among optimism, hope, empathy, and CSE and investigated the possible mediating roles of hope and empathy in the relationship between optimism and CSE. A sample of 330 FLL students from two Chinese universities participated in this study. The results showed that (i) optimism, hope, and empathy were all positively related to CSE and that (ii) optimism did not directly predict CSE but indirectly and positively predicted CSE through hope and empathy. These findings suggest that optimism, empathy, and hope potentially play positive roles in facilitating CSE in FLL students. Based on the present results, some practical approaches are discussed that could help improve the CSE of FLL students, paying particular attention to the effects that potentially motivate their positivity.