Failing a course: A diary case study of an Iranian EFL student

Students’ failure in an academic course is usually considered as a common phenomenon in theeyes of instructors. Luckily, in recent years some scholars have attempted to reconsider the issuetrying to investigate students experience and perceptions on their academic success and failure.Taking attribution theory as their theoretical framework, these scholars have tried to shed lighton this neglected aspect of education. Drawing on a learner’s course diary, this paper explores anIranian EFL learner’s perceptions of difficulties and constraints in failing and retaking a courseon Linguistics. The results of the study indicated that EFL learner attributed factors such asexamination anxiety, deficient study skills as the influential factors of her failure. Furthermore,socio- psychological issues such as negative self-evaluation and peer- negative –judgementswere emerged as the most bitter experience the diarist went through after her failure. Based onthe findings of the study, some pedagogical implications have been presented.