A hierarchical conceptualization of enjoyment in students

The focus of the present study is on studentsʹ experiences of enjoyment, an emotion largely neglected in educational research. We present a model in which specific levels of generalization of the construct of enjoyment are differentiated. Based on their extent of generalization, these differentiated constructs of enjoyment are located in a hierarchical structure. Enjoyment of life is presented as most generalized and is consequently located at the highest level of the hierarchical structure, followed by studentsʹ enjoyment concerning their education, learning, and most specifically, their use of learning strategies. The hypotheses derived from this model were tested on longitudinal data from a sample of 513 German school students in grades 5–10. Results of structural equation modeling provide empirical support for the specific levels of generalization. The pattern of relations between studentsʹ experiences of enjoyment comprised a simplex-like (ordered correlation) structure as hypothesized in our theoretical model. Concerning the direction of causal flow between the constructs of enjoyment, longitudinal structural equation modeling indicated top-down effects of adjacent levels when controlling for horizontal effects. The enjoyment scales further showed clear linkages to learning behavior including self-regulated learning and creative problem solving. Methodological implications and directions for future research are discussed.