The Ugly, the Promising, and the Good: A Mixed-Methods Study of Shame, Guilt, and Grit among Iranian EFL Learners

The present mixed methods study examined the relationship of three constructs within applied linguistics, namely, shame, guilt, and grit among Iranian EFL learners. By considering the principles of positive psychology, the authors tried to determine the existence of any significant association between the variables. In this vein, ۲۶۳ Iranian students aged between ۱۳ to ۱۸ participated in the study and filled out the questionnaires. Analyses of the data revealed strong negative relatedness between shame and the other two variables, while the learners’ guilt and grit were found to be positively correlated.  Expanding the quantitative results, the authors utilized a grounded theory approach and interviewed ۳۰ students to further investigate the shame-inducing factors in L۲ classroom and the analyses signaled that the ashamed learners suffer from internal and external shame-provokers. Attending to shame and other negative feelings would possibly reduce the learners’ shame and stress, help them progress in learning and enhance their well-being.

The Ugly, the Promising, and the Good: A Mixed-Methods Study of Shame, Guilt, and Grit among Iranian EFL Learners Keywords:

grit , guilt , positive psychology , shame , well-being , grit , guilt , positive psychology , shame , well-being