The Efficacy of Positive Education Intervention for Academic Boredom and Intrinsic Motivation among College Students: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Abstract

(1) Background: The influence of academic boredom and intrinsic motivation on students’ learning and achievements is receiving more attention from scholars. Nevertheless, studies on how intervention decreases academic boredom and promotes intrinsic motivation during study remain unexplored. (2) Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether positive education intervention based on the PERMA model would help Chinese college students with learning-related academic boredom, class-related academic boredom, and intrinsic motivation. (3) Methods: This study is quasi-experimental research with a control group including pre-test and post-test. The study was conducted with 173 students, including 86 (n1 = 86) experimental and 87 (n2 = 87) control group students. (4) Results: Results revealed that students in the intervention condition reported significant reductions in learning-related academic boredom and class-related academic boredom, and significant increases in intrinsic motivation in comparison to their counterparts in the control group. (5) Conclusions: These findings indicate that positive education intervention for college students is a promising approach to reducing academic boredom and increasing intrinsic motivation among Chinese college students.