Abstract

Introduction: Academic boredom is a significant challenge in education that negatively affects students' enthusiasm and academic performance, particularly in medical education. Certain teacher characteristics may serve as protective factors against boredom in students. This study aimed to predict academic boredom based on teacher enthusiasm and humor among medical students.
Method: This cross-sectional study with descriptive correlational design targeted all medical students at Kashan University of Medical Sciences during the academic year 2024–2025. A total of 435 students were selected through stratified random sampling. Participants responded to Keller et al’s teacher enthusiasm, Biggs & Dursell’s teacher humor, Pekrun et al’s academic boredom, Li et al’s trait boredom scales, and demographic questions. The data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis with SPSS-24 software.
Results: Multiple regression analysis showed that after controlling for the effects of age, gender, and trait boredom, perceived teacher enthusiasm (ß = −0.29, p ≤ 0.001) and class-related humor (ß = −0.38, p ≤ 0.01) positively predicted academic boredom, while aggressive humor (ß = −0.15, p ≤ 0.01) negatively predicted academic boredom. Together, these variables explained 35.3% of the variance in academic boredom among students.
Conclusion: Based on the findings, it is recommended that teachers express enthusiasm and incorporate humor in their teaching to create a more engaging and supportive learning environment. This approach could help foster student motivation, reduce boredom, and promote a more positive academic experience.