Investigating optimal learning moments in U.S. and finnish science classes

Abstract

This study explores how often students are engaged in their science classes and their affective states during these times, using an innovative methodology that records these experiences in situ. Sampling a subset of high schools in the U.S. and Finland, we collected over 7,000 momentary responses from 344 students over the course of a week. We examine engagement within and between students in different environments identifying common social and emotional factors they may be experiencing in their science classes, suggesting the challenges that the U.S. and Finland may encounter when implementing their new science standards (i.e., Next Generation of Science Standards and Finnish National Core Curriculum). We operationalize engagement as situational when students experience high levels of challenge, skill, and interest, which we term as optimal learning moments. Specifically we analyze: (i) the components of optimal learning; (ii) the relationship of optimal learning with other subjective measures; (iii) how optimal learning moments in science classes compare to other academic classes; and (iv) the extent that optimal learning moments predict an individual's perception of importance to self and future in science classes. Using several multivariate models, results show that when students are challenged in their classes and are appropriately skilled they are more likely to feel confident, successful, and happy during specific science classes as well as in other academic classes. When students experience more times of optimal learning in their science classes they are more likely to report that they perceive science as important to them and their futures. Females, however, report being more stressed in their science classes than males. # 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Gendered Pathways: How Mathematics Ability Beliefs Shape Secondary and Postsecondary Course and Degree Field Choices

“…However, feeling challenged is a normal and necessary part of learning. Students appear to experience optimal learning when their skill, interest, and challenge are balanced (Schneider et al, 2016). Recent interventions aim to help students' resilience and shift toward more malleable conceptions of intelligence (Good et al, 2003; Bages and Martinot, 2011; Yeager and Dweck, 2012).…”

Mixed Emotions: Network Analyses of Intra-Individual Co-occurrences Within and Across Situations

“…This is supported by previous research, such as the study by Goetz and colleagues (2015) who described clusters of situations in which at least moderate levels of boredom occurred together with positive affect. Likewise, stress has been associated with positive emotions and motivation in situations in which students feel challenged but also feel that they have the skills to keep up with current challenges (e.g., Schneider et al, 2016). That tiredness is associated with both positive and negative emotions may not be surprising given that it is not associated with a particular valence but rather labelled an "other affective states:…”

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

“…Consequently, these findings have generated research on affect in online and computer‐supported learning environments (e.g., Baker, D'Mello, Rodrigo, & Graesser, ; Wosnitza & Volet, ) and in science learning settings (e.g., Schneider et al, ). The increase of computer‐supported inquiry and computer‐supported collaborative inquiry in learning environments that strive for authenticity, such as virtual laboratories in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) classrooms, calls for an understanding of the impact of technologies on affect in learning.…”

“…Regarding achievement outcomes, Niculescu et al's study () in mathematics and statistics revealed that achievement outcomes could be predicted by learning‐related emotions. For optimal learning in science (i.e., intense domain‐specific engagement), students are more likely to feel confident , successful , and happy and also perceive science as important to them if they are appropriately challenged (Schneider et al, ). Notably, Linnenbrink‐Garcia et al's study () revealed a connection between positive affect and positive group interactions in high school collaborative mathematics tasks.…”

“…Because collaborating with others can not only provide social and cognitive support in the face of challenges (see Tsovaltzi et al, ) but also create social discrepancies (see Vauras, Salonen, & Kinnunen, ), it is difficult to make detailed predictions regarding the dominance of the discrete affects or different valence and arousal. How do the students' perceptions of affect and the quality of collaboration relate to the level of the group's collective outcome? Because affect has been found to be related to achievement in science learning, it was hypothesized that if the students in the group experience predominantly positive feelings (e.g., confident, interested or happy), the group outcome would be higher than in the case where negative feelings prevail (see Schneider et al, ; Wondimu et al, ). This effect may not be that direct in a collaborating group, however.…”