Foreign language academic buoyancy, enjoyment and academic achievement among Chinese senior high school students

Previous studies on foreign language teaching and learning from a psychological perspective have mainly examined negative emotions, including anxiety and demotivation. However, with the development of Positive Psychology, interest has increasingly shifted toward exploring the positive traits and emotions undergone by foreign language learners. Grounded in the theories and principles of Positive Psychology, this research explored the complex relationships among foreign language academic buoyancy (FLAB), foreign language enjoyment (FLE), and academic achievement in senior high school students. A total of 375 students from four schools of varying academic levels participated in the study, which employed a quantitative approach. The findings suggested that participants reported moderately high levels of academic buoyancy and enjoyment. The data revealed a significant positive relationship between FLAB, FLE and achievement in their English learning among senior high school students. The study also showed that FLE partially mediated the relationship between FLAB and academic achievement, implying that FLAB not only contributes to academic success on its own but also does so by increasing students' enjoyment of learning. These findings provide theoretical insights into the connection between academic buoyancy, enjoyment, and achievement, as well as implications for pedagogy aimed at supporting language learners' psychological well-being and academic development.