Student Accounts of Epistemic Emotions in Class: A Qualitative Analysis

• In Event: 28.074 - Innovative Contexts and Methods for Studying Motivation and Engagement in STEM Domains

Abstract

As researchers gain insight into the role of epistemic emotions (e.g., curiosity, confusion, surprise, etc.) in supporting students' learning and motivation, it is important to have a clear understanding of how they describe these experiences for themselves. This study asked 22 college students to describe their affect, behavior, and cognition in relation to feeling four epistemic emotions in a class related to their major. Results indicated that there was substantial variation in how students described these experiences. However, the analyses also indicated that there were patterns in the descriptions among students who indicated that they chose their major for the same reason (e.g., attainment, utility, or intrinsic value). Implications and future directions will be discussed.

Authors

• Alyssa Emery, Iowa State University

• Lynley H. Anderman, The Ohio State University