Optimal Learning Moments in Finland and U.S. Science Class: Co-Occurrence Network Analysis

• In Event: Investigating Optimal Learning Moment to Enhance Student Engagement and Social Emotional Leaning

Abstract

Objectives and Theoretical Framework
Optimal learning moments (OLM) refer to the experienced engagement of a task that an individual feels interested, challenged and capable to finish it (Schneider et al., 2016). When students are experiencing OLM, they may simultaneously experience high level of positive emotions, including happiness, enjoyment, confidence and success, as well as low level of negative emotions (e.g., boredom and confusion; Hendolin, 2016; Inkinen et al., 2019; Schneider et al., 2016). However, previous studies only examined OLM with a limited amount of motivation and emotions using correlation analyses. This research aims to further the understanding of OLM by integrating various academic motivation and emotion theories/frameworks, such as expectancy-value theory (Wigfield & Eccles, 2000), achievement emotions (Pekrun, 2006), and epistemic emotions (Pekrun et al., 2017). Moreover, the ESM data is analyzed using a novel approach: co-occurrence network analysis. This analysis, which aims to show how often (or rarely) two variables co-occur at high levels, can have several strengths over correlation analysis (Moeller et al., 2018). Furthermore, data from two countries’ Finland and US were used.

Methods and Data Sources
Data were obtained using ESM questionnaires delivered via smartphones. The Finnish sample consisted of 282 first-year high school students from Helsinki, Finland. The students participated in a project-based learning (PBL; Krajcik & Shin, 2014) module that consisted of six lessons. In each lesson, the ESM data was collected three times. Overall, the Finnish data comprised 3882 responses. The US sample consisted of 546 high school students in Michigan, USA. Data were collected using similar PBL modules. Each student on average respond to 6 signals. Overall, the US sample data comprised 3234 responses.

Results
Table 1 and Figure 1 show the co-occurrence network of OLM for the Finnish sample. In total, OLM occurred 475 times. When OLM occurred, feelings of concentration, enjoyment, inquisitiveness, success, and meeting self-expectations were the top five co-occurring emotions and motivation. Table 2 and Figure 2 show results for US sample. In total, OLM occurred 574 times. When OLM occurred, feelings of success, concentration, meeting self-expectations, determined, and meeting others’ expectations were the top five co-occurring emotions and motivation.

Significance
The results from the two samples were highly consistent. When students indicated that they were in OLM, they were most likely concentrating on what they were doing, experiencing positive emotions and success, and fulfilling both their own and others’ expectations. These findings corroborate with and expand on those of Schneider et al. (2016). The findings also highlight the role of epistemic emotions such as feeling inquisitive in OLM. Studies (Vogl et al., 2020) have shown that epistemic emotions like curiosity and surprise can serve as a trigger to other academic emotions and knowledge learning (fail or success), but those emotions do not guarantee to help you succeed in the task. Thus, curiosity may serve as the initial drive for OLM, but to achieve OLM requires more. Finally, this study highlights the unique value of co-occurrences network analysis apart from the commonly used correlation analysis.

Authors

• Xin Tang, University of Helsinki

• I-Chien Chen, Michigan State University

• Jari Lavonen, University of Helsinki

• Joseph S. Krajcik, Michigan State University

• Katariina Salmela-Aro, Cicero Learning, University of Helsinki