Students' regulation of their emotions in a science classroom

Abstract

Research aimed at understanding the role of the affective domain in student learning in classrooms has undergone a recent resurgence due to the need to understand students' affective response to science instruction. In a case study of a year 8 science class in North Queensland, students worked in small groups to write, film, edit, and produce short videos about the socio-scientific issue of coal seam gas mining as part of a unit on energy. Student emotions over the course of the unit of work were recorded using emotion diaries (a self-report measure), video recordings of lessons, and end-of-project interviews. We identify trends in student emotions and analyze their relation to classroom activities using two constructs for interpreting the affective dimension of student learning: emotional energy and emotion regulation. By analyzing a salient classroom event, we report students' regulation of negative emotions like frustration and anger as they worked together to complete the video project successfully. Furthermore, we propose that emotions, particularly positive emotions, elicited by the video task and not the socio-scientific issue dominated students' experiences and perceptions of the unit. This raises questions about how students' positive emotions might be regulated effectively so that they remain focused on the intended learning. # 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 53: 2016

High school students' perceptions of affect and collaboration during virtual science inquiry learning

“…Despite social and cognitive challenges, working in the VLE was perceived very positively by the students and affects, such as joy, interest, and excitement, indicated positive emotional engagement. This result is consistent with Muños et al's study (), in which online game‐play learning in physics was studied and also with Tomas et al's study () of small group work in a science class. Interestingly, all students in the present study reported typically positive affect despite the level of their group outcome.…”

“…Interestingly, all students in the present study reported typically positive affect despite the level of their group outcome. This result is in clear contrast with the findings from individual conceptual science learning and mathematics, where positive emotions were related only with high achievement (see Liu et al, ; Wondimu et al, ) but in line with the findings from Newtonian physics studies (Linnenbrink & Pintrich, ) and a socioscientific issue of coal seam gas mining (Tomas et al, ). One plausible explanation could be that the shared experience with peers was considered a positive joint activity, as in Tomas et al's study (), reflecting the positive mood in the groups, which would be consistent with the finding that students reported mostly being happy , relaxed , and calm .…”

“…The only partial divergence with Graesser et al's findings () in complex learning may result from group composition because their review focused on individual learning, in which negative affect was pronounced, whereas positive affect was dominant in the present study focusing on collaborative learning. Although some negative affect was reported, it is possible that the group was able to alleviate these feelings to achieve their common goal, as found by Tomas et al () in a recent study. Tomas and colleagues revealed that students working in small groups regulated their negative emotions, such as frustration and anger, as they worked together to complete a video project successfully.…”

“…Notably, Linnenbrink‐Garcia et al's study () revealed a connection between positive affect and positive group interactions in high school collaborative mathematics tasks. Although these findings highlight the importance of affect in students' science activities and achievements, the research is dominated by studies focusing on individual students' (or pairs) interest and perceptions or responses to learning in STEM disciplines, with few empirical studies of collaborating groups (e.g., Linnenbrink‐Garcia et al, ; Shibley & Zimmaro, ; Tomas et al, ).…”

“…Research in computer‐based learning has indicated that the most common affective states found for individuals and pairs were engaged concentration and confusion (Baker et al, ; Baker et al, ). The prevalence of positive or negative affect is rather unstudied, but a study by Muños, Kevitt, Lunney, Noguez, and Neri () on individual students' online learning revealed more positive achievement emotions than negative emotions (see Tomas et al, ). Graesser, D'Mello, and Strain () reviewed the research of learning‐centred emotions that occur in advanced learning technologies in STEM fields, such as computer science, mathematics, physics, and biology.…”