The effects of informal digital learning, intrinsic motivation, and grit on online learning effort regulation and English achievement

Why Your Phone Habits Matter for Learning English

Many university students spend hours watching videos, scrolling social media, or using apps in English without thinking of it as “studying.” This paper asks a simple but important question: how do these everyday digital activities, along with inner qualities like enjoyment of learning and perseverance, shape students’ effort in online English courses and their actual achievement? Focusing on Saudi university students learning English as a foreign language, the study helps explain why some learners put in steady effort and perform well, while others struggle, even if they all have access to the same online tools.

Learning Outside the Classroom

The researchers looked closely at what they call informal digital learning of English—activities such as watching English videos, using language apps, playing games, or chatting online in English outside formal classes. Unlike traditional lessons, students choose the pace, content, and tools themselves. Earlier work suggests this kind of learning gives access to real-world language, instant feedback, and contact with people from other cultures. But until now, very few studies have examined how such informal experiences combine with psychological factors to shape both students’ ability to manage their effort online and their exam results, especially in non-Western settings like Saudi Arabia.

Inner Drive and Perseverance

The study focused on two key inner qualities. The first is intrinsic motivation—the enjoyment and interest that make students learn because they want to, not because they have to. Intrinsically motivated learners tend to explore more, stick with tasks longer, and use better study strategies. The second is grit, understood as perseverance and long-term commitment to goals. Grit has been linked to success in demanding areas, but findings in language learning have been mixed. Sometimes it predicts achievement; in other cases its effects fade when other factors such as motivation and study habits are taken into account. This study examined grit alongside intrinsic motivation and informal digital learning, rather than in isolation.

How the Study Was Carried Out

The authors surveyed 218 Saudi university students who were taking English as a foreign language. The students came from seven different colleges and had varying experience with online English courses. They completed online questionnaires about their informal digital learning in English, their intrinsic motivation, their grit, and how well they regulate their effort in online environments—for example, working hard, resisting distractions, and keeping to study routines. English achievement was measured using course grades and standardized test scores. The researchers used structural equation modeling, a statistical approach that allows them to see how these factors are related in a single, interconnected model.

What Really Drives Effort and Achievement

The results paint a nuanced picture. Students who engaged more in informal digital learning, and those who felt more intrinsically motivated, were significantly better at regulating their effort in online English courses. In fact, intrinsic motivation showed a particularly strong link to sustained effort: students who genuinely enjoyed learning English were much more likely to plan, persist, and manage their time effectively online. Surprisingly, grit did not have a clear impact on this day-to-day effort regulation once the other factors were taken into account. When it came to actual English achievement, however, the pattern flipped. Grit showed a meaningful positive effect on grades and test scores, while informal digital learning and intrinsic motivation did not directly predict higher marks. This suggests that everyday digital practice and enjoyment help students work harder and more steadily, but long-term perseverance is what eventually shows up in their exam results.

What This Means for Students and Teachers

For a lay reader, the takeaway is straightforward: casually using English in your digital life and liking the process of learning both make it easier to study regularly and stay focused in online courses. At the same time, quietly sticking with English over months and years—grit—seems crucial for turning all that effort into measurable achievement. The authors argue that teachers and universities should not only encourage students to use English-based apps, videos, and social platforms, but also design activities that build enjoyment, autonomy, and perseverance. In digital learning environments, motivation and informal practice power the engine of effort, while grit helps carry students across the finish line to stronger, long-term language success.

Citation: Alshammari, S.H., Alrashidi, O. The effects of informal digital learning, intrinsic motivation, and grit on online learning effort regulation and English achievement. Sci Rep 16, 13828 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-44548-8

Keywords: informal digital learning, intrinsic motivation, grit, online language learning, English achievement