Achievement emotions: Their relationship with academic performance and learning styles in EFL learners

This study examines the relationship of achievement emotions with academic performance and learning styles in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, a largely unexplored area of research. Employing a quantitative research design, 300 participants from the Applied College at a public university completed an adapted version of the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire-Short (AEQ-S) by Bieleke et al. (2021). This instrument assessed emotional experiences across classroom-related, testing-related, and self-directed learning contexts. Kruskal-Wallis tests identified significant differences in emotional experiences between high and low achievers across the three contexts, with high achievers experiencing heightened positive emotions and low achievers, negative ones. ANOVA further demonstrated that learners' distinct learning styles significantly influenced experiences of achievement emotions with the exception of anxiety and relief, indicating that adaptation of instructional methods to learning styles can play a crucial role in shaping students’ emotional responses. These findings may offer insights for developing emotionally responsive pedagogical strategies, ultimately enhancing academic success among EFL students.