Action-awareness Merging Research Articles

Developing a New Model for Achieving Flow State in STEAM Education: A Mixed-Method Investigation

The flow state is a mental state in which a person is fully immersed in an activity and experiences a sense of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment. It is a highly desirable state for learning, as it allows students to be more engaged and productive. However, achieving the flow state can be challenging, and there is no single method guaranteed to achieve all the conditions of this state. Additionally, this study argues that achieving the flow state is advantageous in STEAM education because it has the potential to increase student engagement and motivation, improve learning outcomes, promote creativity and problem-solving skills, and develop 21st-century skills such as collaboration and critical thinking. Therefore, this study aims to develop a new framework for achieving the flow state in STEAM education by investigating the implementation of a combined approach using impactful technology (ITU) and gamification (IGU). The framework combines impactful technology use (ITU) and impactful gamification use (IGU) to create activities that are challenging, have clear goals, provide immediate feedback, and promote action-awareness merging. A concurrent triangulation mixed-methodology research design was used, with data collected from teachers, students, and parents through questionnaires, interviews, and observations. The researcher used purposive sampling to determine the sample, which consisted of eighty-nine teachers, ten students, ten parents, and ten lesson observations. The study is significant because it is the first to propose a new model for achieving the flow state in STEAM education. The findings were used to develop the New Combined Flow Framework (NCFF), which supports achieving the conditions for the flow state in STEAM learning through the combined use of ITU and IGU. This new framework can be used by education professionals to practically achieve the flow state in STEAM classes. By understanding how to achieve the flow state, educators can create more engaging and effective learning experiences for their students, potentially revolutionizing STEAM education and making it more accessible to all students.

Birthing consciousness and the flow experience during physiological childbirth

ProblemIt has been demonstrated that birth without medical intervention conveys significant physical and psychological benefits to the mother and her newborn baby. However, there is a need to include women's subjective experience of physiological birth to understand and promote it. BackgroundThe theoretical concept of “birthing consciousness” hypothesizes that women during natural childbirth sometimes experience a specific altered state of consciousness, which is a positive peak experience that resembles “flow” in many aspects. AimTo investigate the underexplored connection between the physiological mode of childbirth and altered states of consciousness during childbirth. MethodsIsraeli women with childbirth experience were recruited through social media (Facebook groups with a focus on childbirth and motherhood). Participants (n = 766) completed an online survey: the Flow State Scale (FSS) and a demographic questionnaire. FindingsDifferences were found between modes of birth as to flow state, as women who experienced physiological childbirth (i.e., with no epidural anesthesia or instrumental interventions) had a higher flow state during birth. DiscussionThis link empirically confirms the phenomenon of birthing consciousness. All nine dimensions of the mental state of flow apply to childbirth: challenge-skill balance, action-awareness merging, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, concentration on the task, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, transformation of time, and autotelic experience. ConclusionUnderstanding a women's subjective experience during physiological birth can enhance clinical understanding of physiological birth thus promoting positive physiological birth experiences – which has crucial health benefits. We propose that more studies need to be done to promote experiencing flow during physiological birth.

The Relationship between Users’ Behavior and Their Flow Experience in Gamified Systems

Modeling users' experience in gameful systems is one of the main contemporary challenges in the field of human-computer interaction. One of the most desired and complex experiences to be identified is the flow experience (i.e., challenge-skill balance, action-awareness merging, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, concentration, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, transformation of time, and autotelic experience). Facing this challenge, we conducted a quantitative study (N = 313) based on structural equation modeling, aiming to model and predict the users' flow experience through their behavior (represented by performance-related, interaction with gamification, as well as the time they take in different actions) in the system. The main results indicate that i) gamification (i.e., doing well in points, badges, and leader-board) was positively related to users' experience of good challenge-skill balance, ii) whereas it was negatively related to users' concentration. Thirdly iii) user performance was positively related to users' concentration. However, overall, the results indicate that while associations between user behavior and flow experience could be established, there remains future work to be done to fully explain user flow experience while using a system. Our study contributes to the fields of human-computer interaction, gamification, and educational technologies, especially through insights related to modeling and predicting flow experiences in gameful systems through behavior data.

The effects of gender stereotype-based interfaces on users’ flow experience and performance

Despite recent advances in the personalization of education, it is still unknown how different kinds of personalization affect students’ experiences. To advance this literature, in this article, we present an experimental study with 307 participants investigating the effects of gender stereotype-based interfaces (in terms of colors and avatars stereotypes) on users’ flow experience (i.e., challenge–skill balance, merging of action and awareness, clear goals, feedback, concentration, control, loss of self-consciousness, and autotelic experience), and performance in a gamified educational system. The main results indicate that gender stereotype-based interfaces affect users’ action–awareness merging, however, do not affect users’ performance and overall flow experience. We contribute with the basis for new studies and challenge thorough future research attempts.

How audience and general music performance anxiety affect classical music students' flow experience: A close look at its dimensions.

Flow describes a state of intense experiential involvement in an activity that is defined in terms of nine dimensions. Despite increased interest in understanding the flow experience of musicians in recent years, knowledge of how characteristics of the musician and of the music performance context affect the flow experience at the dimension level is lacking. In this study, we aimed to investigate how musicians' general music performance anxiety (MPA) level (i.e., the general tendency to experience anxiety during solo music performances) and the presence of an audience influence the nine flow dimensions. The participants were 121 university music students who performed solo a music piece once by themselves (private performance) and once in front of an audience (public performance). Their general MPA level was measured with an adapted version of the STAI and ranged from 27 (very low MPA) to 76 (very high MPA). The level of the nine flow dimensions was assessed with the Flow State Scale-2 after each performance. The levels of "concentration on task at hand," "sense of control," and "autotelic experience" decreased significantly with increasing general MPA level. The levels of "unambiguous feedback" and "loss of self-consciousness" decreased significantly with increasing general MPA level during the public performance only. The level of "sense of control" was significantly lower during the public performance than the private performance across participants. The level of "unambiguous feedback" was significantly lower during the public performance than the private performance for participants with a general MPA level higher than 47. The level of "loss of self-consciousness" was significantly lower during the public performance than the private performance for participants with a general MPA level higher than 32. In contrast, the general MPA level and the audience did not significantly affect the levels of "challenge-skill balance," "clear goals," and "action-awareness merging." These results show that the effects of general MPA level and audience vary greatly across flow state dimensions. We conclude that musicians' flow state should be analyzed at the dimension level rather than as a global score. We discuss how our findings could inform the development and implementation of interventions.

Predicting students\u2019 flow experience through behavior data in gamified educational systems

The flow experience (i.e., challenge-skill balance, action-awareness merging, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, concentration, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, transformation of time, and autotelic experience) is an experience highly related to the learning experience. One of the current challenges is to identify whether students are managing to achieve this experience in educational systems. The methods currently used to identify students’ flow experience are based on self-reports or equipment (e.g., eye trackers or electroencephalograms). The main problem with these methods is the high cost of the equipment and the impossibility of applying them massively. To address this challenge, we used behavior data logs produced by students during the use of a gamified educational system to predict the students’ flow experience. Through a data-driven study (N = 23) using structural equation modeling, we identified possibilities to predict the students’ flow experience through the speed of students’ actions. With this initial study, we advance the literature, especially contributing to the field of student experience analysis, by bringing insights showing how to step towards automatic students’ flow experience identification in gamified educational systems.

The Effects of Applied and Sport-Specific Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement Training on Mindfulness Skills, Flow, and Emotional Regulation in National Competitive Swimmers

These case studies examined the effects of mindful sport performance enhancement (MSPE) programs on competitive swimming performance, flow experience, and emotional regulation. Sixteen national competitive adolescent swimmers were randomly allocated into MSPE (n = 9) and relaxation training (n = 7) groups for 8 weeks. In the second phase of the intervention, the 16 participants were evenly split into an MSPE group for swimming and a control group for 5 weeks. The participants completed measures of trait and state flow, and mindfulness pre- and postintervention. The data analysis revealed that mindfulness had significant effects on both action–awareness merging and clear goals subscales. Further analysis revealed that the MSPE for swimming group significantly improved in terms of presence relative to the control group. In conclusion, general and sport-specific mindfulness interventions can psychologically benefit adolescent competitive swimmers.

Will-to-Win, Self-Esteem, and Dispositional Flow State among adolescent athletes in India - a path analysis and comparisons by gender and level of achievement

This study aimed to examine the relationships between athletes’ will-to-win, their self-esteem, and dispositional flow state by presenting a structural model of the relationships. Further, gender and competitive level group differences among adolescent athletes in India were explored. A purposive sample of 318 adolescent athletes (male: n = 188; female: n = 130) with a mean age of 16.10 ± 1.01 years, who participanted in basketball, football and volleyball competitions, completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire, Will-to-Win Questionnaire and the Dispositional Flow Scale-2. Significant differences were found between the two competitive levels and gender groups. Players participating on Inter-state level had significantly higher self-esteem, will-to-win and dispositional flow (such as challenge skill balance, clear goals and concentration on the task at hand) than participants at Inter-district level. Male athletes had significantly higher self-esteem (p=.077) and dispositional flow (such as action awareness merging; p=.004), concentration, loss of self-consciousness (p=.050) and transformation of time (p=.001) than female athletes. A significant positive relationship was found between self-esteem, will-to-win and the dispositional flow subscales. Lastly, the CFA (path analysis) showed excellent model fit between Will-to-Win → Self-Esteem → Dispositional Flow. Athletes participating on higher competitive levels reported superior mean scores in five factors such as self-esteem (31.14 ± 6.77), will-to-win (10.24 ± 2.32), challenge skill balance (17.34 ± 2.17), action awareness merging (15.25 ± 2.99) and clear goals (16.48 ± 2.50). Male athletes had higher mean scores on self-esteem and dispositional flow state than female athletes. However, will-to-win did not show any significant gender difference. Additionally, the linear structural model of the relationship between will-to-win mediating selfesteem with dispositional flow provided excellent model fit.

Taktu til við að tvista: Námsleikir í skólastarf

Meginmarkmið þessarar greinar er að fjalla um námsleiki, þ.e. kennslufræðilega leiki og frjálsan leik barna með fræðilegu yfirliti út frá kenningum Fro?bel, Dewey, Piaget og Vygotsky um frja?lsan leik og hvernig kenningar Gagne? um skilyrði fyrir námi og kenning Csikszentmihalyi um flæði tengjast kennslufræðilegum leik. Þá er Aðalnámskrá grunnskóla skoðuð út frá leiknum og skoðaður munurinn á kennslufræðilegum leik og frjálsum leik. Einnig er fjallað um þróun og tilgang námsspilsins Taktu til við að tvista. Það er námsspil sem tengir saman nám og leik og getur hentað vel til upprifjunar á námsefni og til að auka þekkingu nemenda. Spilið má nota í öllum námsgreinum og með öllum aldurshópum. Rannsóknarspurning sem þessari grein er ætlað að svara er eftirfarandi: Hvernig getur nám átt sér stað í gegnum regluleik? Markmiðið með spilinu er að ýta undir samskipti og samvinnu nemenda og að nemendur fái hreyfingu og útrás í kennslustundum. Einnig er markmiðið að auka færni nemenda í viðkomandi námsgrein og að þeir séu virkir þátttakendur í eigin námi. Niðursto?ðurnar benda til þess að þegar kennslufræðilegir leikir eru notaðir til þjálfunar og endurtekningar á ákveðnum námsþáttum má auðvelda nemendum að öðlast ákveðna færni í námsþættinum. Því má leiða líkum að því að nám eigi sér stað í gegnum leik og nemendur geti aukið við þekkingu sína og færni með þessari kennsluaðferð.

The effects of Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE) training on mindfulness, and flow in national competitive swimmers

There are limited studies examining the effects of a mindfulness intervention for a specific sport population group. The aim of this applied study was to investigate the effects of a mindful sport performance enhancement (MSPE) program on the mindfulness and flow of adolescent swimmers. Sixteen competitive adolescent swimmers were split into MSPE (n = 9) and relaxation training (RT) (n = 7) groups for eight weeks. Participants completed measures of trait and state flow mindfulness pre and post intervention. Paired t test results revealed that the MSPE group improved trait flow characteristics and global trait flow. ANCOVA analysis also revealed significantly higher effects on global trait flow and the action-awareness merging and clear goals subscales for the MSPE group compared to the RT group. These results suggested that sport orientated mindfulness interventions can psychologically benefit competitive youth swimmers. The study indicates that further research could consider applied designs to investigate in more detail the experiences this population has with specific mindfulness exercises.

Pupils’ Opinions on an Educational Virtual Reality Game in Terms of Flow Experience

The purpose of the study is; to evaluate a game developed by using virtual reality technology in the teaching of fractions which is one of the most difficult topics in the fourth-grade mathematics curriculum, according to the opinions of pupils. An educational virtual reality game (Keşfet Kurtul) was developed for the study. Dur-ing the development of the game, the ideas of experts were utilized and flow theo-ry was taken into account. The educational virtual reality game was developed in the light of the flow theory. The research was carried out in a school in Samsun with 4th grade pupils. The game was evaluated by the pupils in terms of overall evaluation, challenge-skills balance, concentration on the task, clear goals, sense of control, action-awareness merging, loss of self-consciousness, transformation of time, unambiguous feedback and autotelic experience. As a result, the educa-tional virtual reality game Keşfet Kurtul is a digital learning environment that pu-pils enjoyed a lot. It has been determined that all tasks except the "radio" task, and in general the game itself, provide flow experience. It is proposed to redesign just one task of the game in terms of challenge-skills balance and clear goals. It's sug-gested that in experimental studies, different variables can be examined.

Flow revisited: process conceptualization and a novel application to service contexts

PurposeFlow is an important yet under-utilized concept to examine extraordinary experiences in service encounters. An extensive review of extant literature revealed several conceptual concerns that have contributed to a blurred understanding of flow. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptualization of flow that is complete yet parsimonious.Design/methodology/approachThe paper includes a survey (Study 1,N=202) that covers gaming and online services and a field study (Study 2,N=448) covering a festival context. Structural equation modeling and regression-based mediation analysis are used to analyze the data.FindingsFlow can meaningfully be conceptualized as the process from engrossment to enjoyment. Engrossment comprises loss of self-consciousness, transformation of time, concentration on the task at hand, and action-awareness merging. In service encounters with high achievement content (e.g. gaming or sports), challenge-skill balance, clear goals, unambiguous and immediate feedback, and sense of control serve as antecedents of engrossment. Yet flow also appears in service contexts without achievement content (i.e. where consumers have less control over the outcomes of their performance, such as when listening to music). Across service contexts, the enjoyment and engrossment (directly or indirectly) impact service loyalty.Practical implicationsIn terms of improving loyalty or training outcomes service providers should have a clear interest in providing the utmost potential for creating flow experiences during the service encounter. Hedonic offers that allow engrossing in the activity seem particularly effective in this regard.Originality/valueThis paper offers a clear theoretical and empirical distinction of formerly treated facets of flow. It further contributes to extant literature by providing a revised conceptualization that regards flow as the process from engrossment to enjoyment. The revised conceptualization is void of unnecessary dimensions and can be applied and compared across various research contexts, including hedonic, nonachievement services. Moreover, the paper indicates that research streams on flow and immersion might be linked more closely.

Flow experience in computer game playing among Thai university students

This study was based on the flow theory of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. A cross sectional study was performed to examine flow experience in computer game playing among university students and to identify behavior that led to positive consequences and addictive behavior. Multi-stage sampling was conducted to select a sample of 478 university students aged 18–24 years who usually played computer games. Data were collected using the assessment instruments of computer game addictive behavior and perception of the consequences from game playing.Based on exploratory factor analysis, the construct of flow experience could be divided into two dimensions: 1) cognitive flow which was composed of challenge-skill balance, clear goals, and unambiguous feedback, and 2) emotional flow which was composed of action-awareness merging, concentration on the task at hand, sense of control, loss of consciousness, and time transformation. Based on structural equation modeling, cognitive flow was positively correlated to perception of utility from the game (β = .85) and emotional flow was positively correlated to physical and psychological impacts from the game (β = .52). Moreover, males were more likely to spend time on computer games than females. This study found that time duration was not a key indicator of game-playing consequences. However, the state of flow in computer game playing was indeed a key factor that could perpetrate positive or negative outcomes.The findings of this study suggested that flow experience in computer game playing has both benefits and drawbacks. It is recommended that youth-related organizations should promote cognitive flow experiences to develop the self-improvement of computer game players rather than emotional flow experiences.

Further examining the relationship between mental toughness and dispositional flow in sport: A mediation analysis

The purpose of the study was to further examine the relationship between mental toughness (MT) and dispositional flow in sport. A sample of 256 athletes (M age = 23.65 years, SD = 5.43), competing at international (n = 59), national (n = 77), and club/university (n = 120) levels completed questionnaires assessing MT and dispositional flow. A significant and positive correlation was found between MT and dispositional flow (r = 0.50, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that MT had a significant direct effect on the flow dimensions of challenge-skills balance, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, sense of control and concentration on the task at hand, and significant indirect effects on concentration on the task at hand, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, action-awareness merging and autotelic experience. Findings suggest that MT has direct and indirect effects on the characteristics of flow, offering new insights regarding optimal human functioning.

Dispositional Flow State among Open Skill Athletes: A Predictor and Quantification of Sport Performance

The present study was aimed to identify the role of Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2) among open skill athletes. In order to achieve the objective of the study, Sixty (N=60) male university level open skill athletes of 19 to 25 years of age were selected to act as a subject. A prior consent was sought from all the subjects after being informed about the objective and protocol of a study. The sixty (N=60) subjects were segregated into three groups i.e. N 1 = 20 Basketball, N 2 =20 Handball, N 3 =20 Football. To measure the level of Flow of the subjects, the Dispositional Flow Scale-2 (DFS-2) Questionnaire constructed by Jackson and Eklund (2004) was administered. One way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed to compare various sports groups i.e. open skill athletes. Where ‘F’ values were found significant, LSD (Least Significant Difference) Post-hoc test was applied to find out the direction and degree of differences. For testing the hypothesis, the level of significance was set at 0.05. Significant differences were found among various sport groups (basketball, handball, and football) on the sub-variables of DFS-2 i.e. unambiguous feedback, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness and overall dispositional flow scale-2. However, no significant differences were found on the sub-variables of DFS-2 i.e. challenge-skill balance, action-awareness merging, clear goals, concentration on the task at hand, transformation of time and autotelic experience.

Health literacy management by family doctors on action-awareness merging of diabetic patients: effect analysis

Objective To intervene and appraise the health literacy of diabetic patients entering contracts with family doctors in pilot communities, and learn the effect and feasibility of health literacy management by family doctors for diabetic patients. Methods By means of community intervention study and questionnaire survey, 560 diabetic patients as mentioned above in Shanghai were subject to a baseline assessment on their health literacy, followed by management and routine follow-up on their diabetic health literacy.At the end of six months of comprehensive intervention, their health literacy was appraised again to observe the effects of such management. Results Six months of guidance and management found the average scoring of the health literacy of these patients 23.46 over the baseline, an increase of 36.8% of the patients in their compliance of the four basic diabetic diet behaviors, and an increase of 27.8% of them in regular and quantitative exercises. Conclusions It is feasible for community family doctors to carry out the health literacy management for diabetic patients contracted, and health literacy management can change the awareness and behaviors of such patients to some extent. Key words: Action-awareness merging; Diabetes; Health literacy; Management; Effect

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FLOW STATE IN BASKETBALL PERFORMANCE: A PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBE

Purpose: The present study was conducted to examine the flow state in basketball performance. Materials: The investigator had selected Forty Five (N=45) female basketball players of 19 to 25 years of age to act as subjects. They were divided into three groups; (i.e., N1=15; District, N2=15; State and N3=15 National). The purposive sampling technique was used to select the subjects. All the subjects, after having been informed about the objective and protocol of the study, gave their consent and volunteered to participate in this study. Statistical Analyses: To measure the level of dispositional flow state of the subjects, the flow state battery constructed by Jackson &amp; Eklund (2004) was administered. One way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed to find out the intra-group differences. Where F values were found significant, LSD (Least Significant Difference) Post-hoc test was applied to find out the direction and degree of difference. For testing the hypotheses, the level of significance was set at 0.05. Results &amp; Conclusion: The results revealed no significant differences were found among female basketball players on the sub-variables of Dispositional Flow Scale-2 i.e., Challenge Skill Balance, Action-Awareness Merging, Clear Goals, Unambiguous Feedback, Concentration on the Task at Hand, Sense of Control, Loss of Self-Consciousness, Time transformation and Autotelic experience.

The Use of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Improving Flow Experience of Nurses in the Psychiatric Hospitals

Introduction The Flow experience in job result in increasing the internal interest to job and it is so enjoyable that causes people do that job for itself. So, designing the effective methods and programs for treatment has important role in increasing this features, especially in nursing staff in the psychiatric units that confront to high stress. Objective and Aim the present study has been done by the purpose of effectiveness of the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy of the Flow experience in nursing staff at the Psychiatric Hospital in Tehran Iran. Method This study is a semi-experimental with pretest-posttest plan along with control group. 30 nurses in the Psychiatric Hospital with score less than 108 in the questionnaire of the Flow State Scale (FSS) of Jackson and Marsh (1997) were selected randomly and then they were divided in two groups of control and experimental. The period of training was 8 sessions with duration of 2 hours for each session once weekly. One week after completion the sessions of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, the above mentioned questionnaire was performed for both two groups. Result The results demonstrated that the Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy meaningfully has been effective on the flow experience, Action-awareness merging, the clear goal, Unambiguous feedback, Concentration on task at hand, sense of control and also it has the most effect on the mini-scale of the Loss of self-consciousness (P Conclusion Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy can be effective in increasing the flow experience of nurses who work in the psychiatric hospitals.

O estado flow em jogadores jovens de basquetebol

The flow-feeling theory helps in understanding why people do activities in maximum performance and extremely motivated. This theory is composed of 9 dimension/characteristics. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze qualitatively the flow feeling in young basketball players. The study sample of 59 athletes from 5 different teams from the Brazil Southeast. Being two of the teams considered elite teams. We used a semi structured interview and a questionnaire to collect general data about the athletes. To evaluate the interview was used the method of content analysis. The results show that there is five dimensions most frequently cited by athletes (autotelic experience, challenge-skill balance, clear goals; sense of control; concentration on the task at hand). And three other less mentioned (transformation of time; action-awareness merging, loss of self-consciousness). Some speeches indicate to there can be a state of flow on the team.

Theoretically Speaking: An Interview with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi on Flow Theory Development and Its Usefulness in Addressing Contemporary Challenges in Education

This article is based on an interview with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Csikszentmihalyi is the founding father of positive psychology and the creator of flow theory, which he has studied for over four decades. Flow was first defined as a holistic sensation that people have when they act with total involvement (Csikszentmihalyi 1975). It is a very positive psychological state that typically occurs when a person perceives a balance between the challenges associated with a situation and their ability to meet the demands of the challenge and accomplish. The nine elements of flow include challenge-skill balance, action-awareness merging, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, concentration on the task at hand, sense of control, loss of selfconsciousness, transformation of time, and an autotelic experience. Flow is informative and instructive and thus a useful theory for educators. Seligman and Csikszentmihlyi (2000) stated, “families, schools, religious communities, and corporations, need to develop communities that foster these strengths” (p. 8). Understanding flow theory development and its usefulness in practice was the primary motivation to pursue this interview. In response to the critical need to advance equity and excellence in education and improve life quality of marginalized populations rigorous exploration of what works is required, particularly as educators reconsider pedagogy, access, and creating climates conducive for teacher and student engagement. Csikszentmihalyi (1990) claimed that, “wherever there is a need for the improvement of life, the flow theory can point the way “(p. 5). Exploring flow theory in an attempt to unlock ways in which flow can be made more available to students was also motivation for this interview. As such, this interview explored (1) the evolution of flow theory, (2) the relationship between flow theory and educational practice, and (3) the usefulness of flow in practice toward addressing contemporary challenges in education. Educ Psychol Rev (2015) 27:353–364 DOI 10.1007/s10648-014-9291-1