Exploring the effects of achievement emotions on online learning outcomes: A systematic review

Abstract

Recently, achievement emotions have attracted much scholarly attention since these emotions could play a pivotal role in online learning outcomes. Despite the importance of achievement emotions in online education, very few studies have been committed to a systematic review of their effects on online learning outcomes. This study aimed to systematically review studies examining the effects of achievement emotions on online learning outcomes in terms of motivation, performance, satisfaction, engagement, and achievement. According to the selection process of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) principles, a total of 23 publications were included in this review. It was concluded that positive achievement emotions, such as enjoyment, pride, and relaxation, could generally exert a positive effect on online learning motivation, performance, engagement, satisfaction, and achievement. It should be noted that excessive positive emotions might be detrimental to online learning outcomes. On the other hand, it has been difficult to determine the effects of negative achievement emotions on online learning outcomes because of disagreement on the effects of negative achievement emotions. In order to improve online learners' learning outcomes, instructors should implement interventions that help online learners control and regulate their achievement emotions. Teaching interventions, technological interventions, and treatment interventions could benefit online learners emotionally and academically. Future studies could examine the moderating roles of contextual factors and individual variables in the effects of achievement emotions on online learning outcomes.

The relationship between university students’ goal orientation and academic achievement. The mediating role of motivational components and the moderating role of achievement emotions

“…From a theoretical standpoint, this study shows the complex role that achievement emotions play in the interplay between goal orientations, motivational components and academic achievement. However, it is still to determine the effects of negative achievement emotions ( Wu and Yu, 2022 ). We found that self-efficacy is the only mediator that explained the relationship between goal orientation and achievement.…”

“…Positive activating emotions can positively influence performance, by increasing motivation and stimulating flexible learning, while negative deactivating emotions can affect performance by diminishing motivation, distracting attention and superficial solving of tasks ( Pekrun et al, 2002 ; Pekrun et al, 2009 ; Muis et al, 2015 ). A recent systematic review suggest positive achievement emotions in online learning contexts may be much more effective than negative ones in improving learners’ motivation, performance and achievement, but in the same time negative activating emotions, such as anxiety and frustration, also positively influence performance of subjects ( Wu and Yu, 2022 ).…”

Investigating the Impacts of Shame-Proneness on Students’ State Shame, Self-Regulation, and Learning

“…Additionally, 84% of college students reported that some or all classes were moved to online-only instruction [69]. Previous research has discovered an association between emotions and distance education [70][71][72][73]. For example, Pirrone et al [74] found that online instruction led to a decrease in anxiety.…”

Multimodal measurements enhance insights into emotional responses to immediate feedback

“…The effects of especially positive deactivating and negative activating emotions on learning are complex ( Pekrun and Linnenbrink-Garcia, 2014 ). Experiencing positive deactivating emotions (e.g., relaxation) can reduce students’ effort and negatively influence learning, contrary to positive activating emotions (e.g., enjoyment and pride) ( Wu and Yu, 2022 ). Negative activating emotions (e.g., frustration and anxiety) are shown to impede learning, but can also enhance students’ effort to perform better ( Graesser and D’Mello, 2012 ; Pekrun, 2017 ; Cloude et al, 2021 ; Taub et al, 2021 ).…”