Grit in L2 Educational Contexts: A Scoping Review

Authors

  • Puput Arfiandhani Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta
  • Osamu Takeuchi Faculty of Foreign Language Studies, Kansai University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31849/egny2q78

Keywords:

grit, L2 educational context, scoping review, L2 learning psychology

Abstract

The recent years saw the surge of interest in psychological constructs essential to L2 teaching and learning. Among these constructs, grit received significant attention in L2 field. The present scoping review investigates the methodological trends, geographical distribution, and study foci of grit in L2 educational contexts from 2020 to 2025. In the present review, 293 articles were initially identified from Proquest, JSTOR, and DOAJ databases (N = 293). In the end, 89 articles were assessed for eligibility, and 50 articles were included in the final review (n = 50). The findings of the scoping review include (1) quantitative methodologies dominated the retrieved articles, (2) studies in Asian contexts were predominantly found, and (3) L2 learners rather than L2 teachers are the focus of most articles. The present study underscores the need (1) to include qualitative findings in various cultural contexts, and (2) to conduct more grit studies with L2 teacher foci to provide more diverse insights into grit in L2 educational contexts.

Keywords: grit, L2 educational contexts, scoping review, language learning psychology

Author Biography

  • Osamu Takeuchi, Faculty of Foreign Language Studies, Kansai University

    Osamu Takeuchi, Ph.D., is Professor at the Faculty of Foreign Language Studies and the Graduate School of Foreign Language Education and Research, Kansai University, Japan. His current research interests include language learning strategies, self-regulation in L2 learning, L2 learning motivation, and the application of technology to language teaching. He has published articles in journals such as Applied Linguistics, International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching (IRAL), Innovation in Language Learning and TeachingRELC JournalResearch Methods in Applied Linguistics, and System. He is the recipient of the JACET Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in 2004 and the 2009 LET Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement.

References

Alamer, A. (2021). Grit and language learning: construct validation of L2-Grit scale and its relation to later vocabulary knowledge. Educational Psychology, 41(5), 544–562. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2020.1867076

Arfiandhani, P., & Takeuchi, O. (2025). The interplay of grit, enjoyment, and self-efficacy among Indonesian pre-service EFL teachers: an SEM analysis. Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education, 10(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40862-025-00330-3

Asubiaro, T., Onaolapo, S., & Mills, D. (2024). Regional disparities in Web of Science and Scopus journal coverage. Scientometrics, 129(3), 1469-1491. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-024-04948-x

Bai, B., & Wang, J. (2023). The role of growth mindset, self-efficacy and intrinsic value in self-regulated learning and English language learning achievements. Language Teaching Research, 27(1), 207-228.

Botes, E., Dewaele, J. M., & Greiff, S. (2021). The development of a short-form foreign language enjoyment scale. The Modern Language Journal, 105(4), 834-854. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12741

Datu, J. A. D., Yuen, M., & Chen, G. (2017). Development and validation of the Triarchic Model of Grit Scale (TMGS): Evidence from Filipino undergraduate students. Personality and Individual Differences, 114, 198-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.04.012

Datu, J. A. D. (2021). Beyond passion and perseverance: Review and future research initiatives on the science of grit. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 3914. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.545526

Derakhshan, A., & Fathi, J. (2024). Grit and foreign language enjoyment as predictors of EFL learners’ online engagement: The mediating role of online learning self-efficacy. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 33(4), 759-769. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-023-00745-x

Dewaele, J. M., & Dewaele, L. (2017). The dynamic interactions in foreign language classroom anxiety and foreign language enjoyment of pupils aged 12 to 18. A pseudo-longitudinal investigation. Journal of the European Second Language Association, 1(1), 12-22. https://doi.org/10.22599/jesla.6

Duckworth, A. L., Peterson, C., Matthews, M. D., & Kelly, D. R. (2007). Grit: perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92(6), 1087. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.6.1087

Freiermuth, M. R., Patanasorn, C., Ravindran, L., & Huang, H. C. (2021). Getting to the Nitty-Gritty of Grit: A Descriptive Characterization of Gritty L2 Learners from Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and Japan. Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning, 3(2), 133-155. https://doi.org/10.52598/jpll/3/2/9

Katsarou, E., & Chatzipanagiotou, P. (2025). Examining the Association of Personality Traits and Grit on Greek Students’ Wellbeing in Higher Education. Education Sciences, 15(1), 57. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15010057

Khajavy, G. H., MacIntyre, P. D., & Barabadi, E. (2018). Role of the emotions and classroom environment in willingness to communicate: Applying doubly latent multilevel analysis in second language acquisition research. Studies in second language acquisition, 40(3), 605-624. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263117000304

Khajavy, G. H., MacIntyre, P. D., & Hariri, J. (2021). A closer look at grit and language mindset as predictors of foreign language achievement. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 43(2), 379–402. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0272263120000480

Kuruveettissery, S., Gupta, S., & Rajan, S. K. (2021). Development and psychometric validation of the three-dimensional grit scale. Current Psychology, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01862-wLee, J. S. (2020). The role of grit and classroom enjoyment in EFL learners’ Willingness to Communicate. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2022.2039677

Mercer, S. (2018). Psychology for language learning: Spare a thought for the teacher. Language Teaching, 51(4), 504-525. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0261444817000258

Munn, Z., Peters, M. D., Stern, C., Tufanaru, C., McArthur, A., & Aromataris, E. (2018). Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach. BMC medical research methodology, 18, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-018-0611-x

Nazari, M., & Alizadeh Oghyanous, P. (2021). Exploring the role of experience in L2 teachers’ turnover intentions/occupational stress and psychological well-being/grit: A mixed methods study. Cogent Education, 8(1), 1892943. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186x.2021.1892943

Oxford, R., & Khajavy, G. H. (2021). Exploring Grit: “Grit Linguistics” and Research on Domain-General Grit and L2 Grit. Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning, 3(2), 7-36. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2021.1892943

Robertson-Kraft, C., & Duckworth, A. L. (2014). True grit: Trait-level perseverance and passion for long-term goals predict effectiveness and retention among novice teachers. Teachers College Record, 116(3), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811411600306

Shirvan, M. E., Lou, N. M., Shahnama, M., & Yazdanmehr, E. (2021). Maintaining effort and interest despite challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic: a process tracing approach to a teacher’s grit during an online L2 course. Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning, 3(2), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.52598/jpll/3/2/4

Sudina, E., & Plonsky, L. (2021). Academic perseverance in foreign language learning: An investigation of language‐specific grit and its conceptual correlates. The Modern Language Journal, 105(4), 829-857. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12738

Sudina, E., Brown, J., Datzman, B., Oki, Y., Song, K., Cavanaugh, R., Bala, T. & Plonsky, L. (2021). Language-specific grit: Exploring psychometric properties, predictive validity, and differences across contexts. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 15(4), 334–351. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2020.1802468

Sudina, E., Vernon, T., Foster, H., Del Villano, H., Hernandez, S., Beck, D., & Plonsky, L. (2021). Development and initial validation of the L2‐Teacher Grit Scale. TESOL Quarterly, 55(1), 156–184. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.581

Teimouri, Y., Sudina, E., & Plonsky, L. (2021). On domain-specific conceptualization and measurement of grit in L2 learning. Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning, 3(2), 156-165. https://doi.org/10.52598/jpll/3/2/10

Teimouri, Y., Plonsky, L., & Tabandeh, F. (2022). L2 grit: Passion and perseverance for second-language learning. Language Teaching Research, 26(5), 893-918. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168820921895

Tricco, A. C., Lillie, E., Zarin, W., O’brien, K., Colquhoun, H., Kastner, M., ... & Straus, S. E. (2016). A scoping review on the conduct and reporting of scoping reviews. BMC medical research methodology, 16, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-016-0116-4

Zawodniak, J., Pawlak, M., & Kruk, M. (2021). The role of grit among Polish EFL majors: A comparative study of 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-year university students. The Journal for the Psychology of Language Learning, 3(2), 118-132.

https://doi.org/10.52598/jpll/3/2/8

Zein, S. (2022). Translanguaging and Multiliteracies in the English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Classroom. English Teaching, 77, 3-24. https://doi.org/10.15858/engtea.77.s1.202209.3

Downloads

Published

2025-08-29

How to Cite

Grit in L2 Educational Contexts: A Scoping Review. (2025). ELT-Lectura, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.31849/egny2q78