Classroom-related emotions through the lens of students’ academic concerns in higher education

Understanding how students’ academic concerns give rise to their emotions during classes is essential for fostering emotionally supportive and engaging higher education environments. While emotions in learning have been widely studied, less is known about how specific academic concerns act as antecedents that help explain students’ classroom-related emotions. This study examined how students’ concerns about lecture content, in-class engagement, workload, and competing roles influence the emotions they experience during classes in higher education. Data was collected from 380 undergraduate and postgraduate students, of whom 65.5% were female and the largest age group was 18–24 years (60.3%), enrolled at a Maltese higher education institution through an anonymous online questionnaire. A concurrent mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Kruskal-Wallis tests, while qualitative responses were examined through inductive thematic analysis to identify key concern areas. Results revealed significant differences in emotional responses by age and programme type, with younger students reporting higher levels of boredom, shame, and anxiety. Four main areas of concern emerged from qualitative data analysis: lecture relevance, engagement, workload balance, and wellbeing. Addressing these concerns through pedagogical design and psychosocial support can foster positive emotions, engagement, and emotional wellbeing in higher education.