Paper-based versus e-portfolios in FL writing: A mixed-methods study of young learners’ enjoyment and boredom

Research into positive and negative emotions has been flourishing in recent years after positive psychology was introduced into the foreign language (FL) education field approximately a decade ago. Given that technology is gradually changing the education landscape, including that of FL teaching, it is crucial to examine learners’ positive and negative emotions in traditional versus technology-supported classrooms. The current study examined young FL learners’ enjoyment and boredom immediately following eight sessions of paper-based portfolio writing and another eight sessions of e-portfolio writing. One hundred and fifty-eight Grade 4 children in Hong Kong participated in the study. The findings from the questionnaires and interviews showed that the e-portfolio sessions were deemed significantly less boring and more enjoyable than the paper-based sessions, with small-to-large effect sizes. Follow-up interviews revealed some remarkable insights into this quantitative pattern; for example, the children felt less worried about making mistakes with e-portfolios. Important practical implications have arisen from these findings. (153 words). Copyright © 2025 the Author(s).