Emotional climate and high quality learning experiences in science teacher education

Abstract

The role of emotion during learning encounters in science teacher education is underresearched and under-theorized. In this case study, we explore the emotional climates (ECs), that is, the collective states of emotional arousal, of a preservice secondary science education class to illuminate practice for producing and reproducing high quality learning experiences for preservice science teachers. Theories related to the sociology of emotions informed our analyses from data sources such as preservice teachers' perceptions of the EC of their class, emotional facial expressions, classroom conversations, and cogenerative dialogue. The major outcome from our analyses was that even though preservice teachers reported high positive EC during the professor's science demonstrations, they also valued the professor's in the moment reflections on her teaching that were associated with low EC ratings. We co-relate EC data and preservice teachers' comments during cogenerative dialogue to expand our understanding of high quality experiences and EC in science teacher education. Our study also contributes refinements to research perspectives on EC.Despite a longstanding interest in research on the effectiveness of science-teacher education programs (e.g., James, 1971), few studies have investigated the synergy between emotions, emotional climate (EC), and the quality of science teacher education in university classes. Briefly, EC refers to the collective experience of emotional arousal that develops among groups of people. James' (1971) work provides one example of early interest on the role of general affective states (i.e., attitudes) in preservice science teacher education. Her study explored whether three different supervisory models used in conjunction with practicum had any effect on preservice science teachers' attitudes toward a desirable teaching strategy (i.e., an inductive-indirect teaching technique). Relationships between teacher attitudes and the teaching technique were established through statistical analyses of pre-and post-test data from questionnaires. The group of teachers who received traditional visits from a university supervisor supplemented by self-evaluation sessions using video data of their teaching showed the largest change toward the desired teaching

Emotional climate of a pre-service science teacher education class in Bhutan

“…The new enabling condition was the need for individuals to gain access to relevant resources to transform classroom practices. Secondly, this study confirms the relevance of the principles of emotional arousal in that it documented similar findings to those of previous studies on emotions conducted in Western contexts (e.g., Bellocchi et al 2014). The third contribution was that two of Turner's (2007) 17 principles were reinforced in this different cultural context; more specifically, principle 1 (e.g., the tutor and other students applauded Singey [positive sanction] for clarifying a scientific concept using video clips) and principle 3 (e.g., the tutor became irritated [experienced negative emotion] when students failed to understand the article "Team testing.…”

“…In a more recent study, connections between high quality learning experiences and EC and emotions were established in an Australian pre-service science teacher education class (Bellocchi et al 2014). Pre-service teachers reported positive EC and emotions when the Professor presented science demonstrations and during pre-service teacher role-plays.…”

“…This study made headway into understanding how micro-social forces during classroom interactions embedded in an educational institution can sustain or inhibit GNH during face-to-face encounters. Previous research in science education has focused on micro-level forces of interactions and emotions and their relationships to classroom level emotional climate (see Bellocchi et al 2014). This previous work took place in Australia where educational policy is focused on the quality of science teachers and university teaching and learning.…”

“…The role of emotions at individual and collective levels in learning science and learning to be a science teacher (Bellocchi et al 2014) has become a recent focus in science education research. This is important work because:…”

“…(Zembylas 2002 p. 98) In pre-service science teacher education, one Australian study reported that particular learning experiences in science education courses were related to the in-the-moment emotions expressed by students in the class and particular aspects of the Professor's instruction including the use of science demonstrations and the Professor's practice of articulating her professional reflections on her teaching (Bellocchi et al 2014). The nation of Bhutan provides a different cultural context for studying the interconnections between emotion and science teacher education because of its unique Gross National Happiness (GNH) policy that seeks to boost the nation's emotional wellbeing and prosperity through numerous strategies including its education system.…”