Abstract
The present study draws on Flow Theory to examine the relationship between task repetition and the quality of learners’ subjective experience during task execution. Flow is defined as a positive experiential state characterized by intense focus and involvement in meaningful and challenging, but doable tasks, which has been associated with enhanced self-confidence and task performance (Csikszentmihalyi, 2008). While research shows that certain task characteristics interact differentially with the quality of flow experiences, no research has specifically examined such interaction with task repetition. Participants (n=24) were randomly assigned to a Task Repetition or a Procedural Repetition group. All participants first completed a two-way decision-making gap task in both the oral and written modalities and either repeated the identical task or a comparable task one week later. Data were collected with a flow perception questionnaire, completed immediately following each task. Results show that repetition positively influenced learners’ flow experience, but that modality was an important mediating factor.
Highlights
The present study draws on Flow Theory to examine the relationship between task repetition and the quality of learners’ subjective experience during task execution
We present the descriptive statistics for general flow ratios, the flow component ratios and perceived task difficulty scores, before presenting the results and the statistical analyses we used to gain insight into our research questions
Reflecting the quantitative analyses presented in the previous section, the qualitative data show that the participants from the task repetition (TR) group experienced decreasing flow and interest when repeating the identical task
Summary
The present study draws on Flow Theory to examine the relationship between task repetition and the quality of learners’ subjective experience during task execution. The present study fills this gap by closely examining how learners of English as an additional language (EAL) experience flow as they complete and repeat two collaborative decision-making tasks in both the oral and written modalities. Researchers aiming to operationalize flow (e.g., Egbert, 2003; Webster et al, 1993) have proposed four fundamental dimensions to define flow-enhancing activities Such activities must be meaningful and stimulate learners’ interest; second, they must represent a perceived balance between learner skills and task challenges; third, they must offer learners a sense of agency and control over their actions; and fourth, they must structure and focus attention such that one loses a sense of time and self. Measurement instruments designed to measure flow in the field of L2 learning and teaching (e.g., Cho, 2018; Egbert, 2003; Zuniga & Rueb, 2018) typically operationalize these four dimensions
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