engleski

Flow in academic activities at the faculty: A qualitative analysis

Background and aims: Flow is a highly enjoyable state people feel when they are so focused on a task that it amounts to complete absorption in an activity (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975). Flow in academic activities results in various positive educational outcomes and is more important for students’ well-being than flow in other areas of their life (Ljubin Golub, Rijavec, & Olčar, 2016). Keeping in mind these positive outcomes, the aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of academic activities at a faculty which students report as the most flow-inducing. Method: The sample comprised 126 third-year and 77 fifth-year students of teacher education at the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb. The participants were presented with three quotes about flow experience (Csikszentmihalyi & Csikszentmihalyi, 1988) and asked to describe in detail one such experience in academic activities at the faculty that was the most flow-inducing. They also rated how challenging the activity was and to what extent they had the necessary skills to perform it. Results: Forty-four percent of the third-year and 77% of the fifth-year students had experienced flow in some academic activity during their studies. For the third-year students, these were mainly various engaging activities related to their interest and talents, and specific activities during lessons and seminars. For the older students, these activities mostly included various obligatory tasks (preparing for lectures, lecturing, preparing obligatory tasks, and exams) that offered them an opportunity to be creative and demonstrate skills both at the faculty and in the real-life context. The levels of challenges and necessary skills were rated above average for all groups of activities. Conclusion: It was concluded that the most flow-inducing academic activities are those that are engaging and most important for achieving students’ academic goals, but other explanations were offered as well.

academic flow, higher education, qualitative analysis, students

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