Chapter 12: Module 35: Interests, Curiosity, and Emotions

how are our individual interests triggered

- our individual interests are triggered as we raise and answer "curiosity questions" that help us organize our knowledge about a topic. - curiosity as one of the 16 basic human motivations and encourage schools to target developing an exploratory orientation in students as a major goal

What components does anxiety have

Anxiety seems to have both cognitive and affective components. The cognitive side includes worry and negative thoughts—thinking about how bad it would be to fail and worrying that you will, for example. The affective side involves physiological and emotional reactions such as sweaty palms, upset stomach, racing heartbeat, or fear Whenever there are pressures to perform, severe consequences for failure, and competitive comparisons among students, anxiety may be encouraged.

Arousal involves

Arousal involves both psychological and physical reactions—changes in brain wave patterns, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate. We feel alert, wide awake, even excited.

what can trigger and support an interest

Challenge, choices, novelty, fantasy, working with others, hands-on activities and experiments, encouraging students' explanations, instructional conversations, assuming the role of an expert, personal relevance, utility value, and participating in a group project - * what works for one student might not work for another

preparation phase

During the preparation phase (classroom instruction, studying, test preparation), learners with anxiety tend to have difficulty effectively focusing attention on the relevant material, employing quality study tactics, and maintaining a positive self-worth orientation toward the learning event. Instead of concentrating, they keep noticing the tight feelings in their chest, thinking, "I'm so tense, I'll never understand this stuff!" From the beginning, anxious students may miss much of the information they are supposed to learn because their thoughts are focused on their own worries. Regardless of whether the learner is unskilled at studying, avoiding the content due to uneasiness caused by the anxiety, or merely distracted by thoughts of the consequences of failing, the material to be learned is clearly compromised

Emotion-focused strategies

Emotion-focused strategies are attempts to reduce the anxious feelings, for example, by using relaxation exercises or describing the feelings to a friend.

emotions

Emotions are complex and not the same thing as feelings. - For example, two people might feel stimulated and aroused thinking about riding a huge roller coaster, but one person gets a thrilling feeling of anticipation, while another feels panic and dread. -- Thus emotion, in this case about roller coasters, is a complex phenomenon arising from the back and forth interplay of bodily responses (arousal, rapid heart beat, heightened blood pressure, etc.), cognitive assessments ("I'm going to die" vs. "it will be a blast"), and conscious feelings (fear and dread vs. anticipation and excitement)

reflection phase

Finally, in the reflection phase, learners with anxiety build attributions for failure that further impede their future performance by developing beliefs that they are simply incapable of succeeding at the task, determining that they have no control over the situation, and setting ineffective goals for future situations.

How can teachers help anxious learners

Finally, teachers can limit the environmental triggers for anxiety in their classrooms by examining their underlying biases (to reduce the presence of stereotype threat messages in their classrooms), promoting mastery-oriented classroom goal structures, and providing a positive role model for appropriate interest and excitement for the content (rather than starting off with statements such as, "This is REALLY hard stuff"). Also, when teachers are "stressed out" about accountability and statewide testing, they can transmit this anxiety to their students. The more teachers are visibly distressed or continually emphasize "how important this test is," the more students have the opportunity to recognize the tests as a state of "threat," prompting negative emotions and activating test anxiety.

How can teachers help anxious learners

First, they can help anxious learners become more effective at recognizing the source of their anxious feelings and accurately interpreting them. Connected to this, teachers can help students adopt attributional styles that recognize that they have control over their learning and performance. So, rather than developing a failure-accepting view, students can learn to identify situations where they have been successful and recognize that, with support and effort, they can achieve better outcomes.

Does Making Learning Fun Make for Good Learning? Counterpoint

Fun can get in the way of learning. - the role of interest in learning, cautioned that you can't make boring lessons interesting by mixing in fun like you can make bad chili good by adding some tasty spicy hot sauce. - When things have to be made interesting, it is because interest itself is wanting. Moreover, the phrase itself is a misnomer. The thing, the object, is no more interesting than it was before - adding interest by incorporating fascinating but irrelevant details actually gets in the way of learning the important information. These "seductive details," as they have been called, divert the readers' attention from the less-interesting main ideas, especially if the material to be learned is complex and makes great demands on working memory - may have disrupted students' attempts to follow the logic of the explanations and thus interfered with their comprehending the text. - "the best way to help students enjoy a passage is to help them understand it

what part of the brain uses emotions

In mammals, including humans, stimulation to a small area of the brain called the amygdala seems to trigger emotional reactions such as fear and the "fight or flight" response, but many other areas of the brain are also involved in emotions.

performance phase

In the performance phase, anxiety blocks retrieval of what was (often poorly) learned

individual interests

Individual interests are the more long-lasting aspects of the person, such as an enduring tendency to enjoy subjects such as history or mathematics, or activities such as music, videogames, or fashion. Students with individual interests in learning in general seek new information and have more positive attitudes toward schooling.

two kinds of interests

Interests can be individual (personal) or situational Both individual and situational interests are related to learning. And interests increase when students feel competent, so even if students are not initially attracted to a subject or activity, they may develop interests as they experience success.

are emotions under control

It should be clear from this description that some of the factors creating emotions are not really under our conscious control—something to remember when working with "emotional" students. A student's split second and uncontrollable emotional judgment—"I sucked at this before and I am doomed to fail again" can sabotage learning before it starts. Building self-efficacy and a growth mindset can help students re-label that feeling of dread as a feeling of challenge and excitement. The same is true for teachers. Split second emotional decisions about a student who "is just trying to make me look bad" can destroy chances for a good relationship. How could you reappraise that feeling

learning is not just about the cold cognition of reasoning and problem solving. expand

Learning also is influenced by emotion and mood, so hot cognition plays a role in learning as well

Curiosity, Interests, and Emotions: Lessons for Teachers

Make efforts to keep the level of arousal right for the task at hand. If students are going to sleep, energize them by introducing variety, piquing their curiosity, surprising them, or giving them a brief chance to be physically active. Learn about their interests, and incorporate these interests into lessons and assignments. If arousal is too great, follow the Guidelines: Coping with Anxiety.

Does Making Learning Fun Make for Good Learning? Beware of either or

Of course we want our classes to be engaging, interesting, even fun—but the focus through it all should be on learning. Even if the work is tough and at times repetitious, students need to learn to persevere. Working hard is a part of life. Working hard together can be fun.

Problem-focused, self-regulating strategies

Problem-focused, self-regulating strategies might include planning a study schedule, borrowing good notes, or finding a protected place to study.

Guidelines: Building on Students' Interests and Curiosity for more about building interest and curiosity in the classroom.

Relate content objectives to student experiences. Identify student interests, hobbies, and extracurricular activities that can be incorporated into class lessons and discussions. Support instruction with humor, personal experiences, and anecdotes that show the human side of the content. Use original source material with interesting content or details. Create surprise and curiosity.

How does sleep affect your anxiety

Research with school-age children shows a relationship between the quality of sleep (how quickly and how well they sleep) and anxiety. Better-quality sleep is associated with positive arousal or an "eagerness" to learn. Poor-quality sleep, on the other hand, is related to debilitating anxiety and decreased school performance. You may have discovered these relationships for yourself in your own school career

How can teachers help anxious learners

Second, teachers should help highly anxious students to set realistic goals, because these individuals often have difficulty making wise choices. They tend to select either extremely difficult or extremely easy tasks. In the first case, they are likely to fail, which will increase their sense of hopelessness and anxiety about school. In the second case, they will probably succeed on the easy tasks, but they will miss the sense of satisfaction that could encourage greater effort and ease their fears about schoolwork. Goal cards, progress charts, or goal-planning journals may help here

situational interests

Situational interests are more short-lived aspects of the activity, text, or materials that catch and keep the student's attention

what are emotions the outcome of

So human emotions are the outcome of physiological responses triggered by the brain, combined with interpretations of the situation and other information such as context. - For example, hearing startling sounds during an action movie might cause a brief emotional reaction, but hearing the same sounds in the middle of the night as you are walking through a dark alley could lead to stronger and more lasting emotional reactions.

How can you increase positive achievement emotions and decrease boredom in the subject you teach?

Students are more likely to feel bored if they believe they (a) have little control over the learning activities and (b) don't value the activities. Matching challenge to the students' skill levels and giving choices can increase the students' sense of control and flow. In addition, efforts to build student interest and show the value of the activities also help to fight boredom. And remember, achievement emotions are domain specific. - The fact that students enjoy and feel proud of their work in math does not mean they will enjoy English or history - In addition, teachers who enjoy their subjects tend to be more enthusiastic and encourage student enjoyment, so make sure, as much as possible, that you are teaching from your own interests and passions

Does Making Learning Fun Make for Good Learning? POINT

Teachers should make learning fun. - Research shows that passages in texts that are more interesting are remembered better - enjoyment of reading proved to be a strong predictor of reading achievement, both for individuals and countries, - Games and simulations can make learning more fun, too. the students in her grade spent 3 days playing a game her teachers had designed - - she had fun—but she also learned how to work in a group without the teacher's supervision and gained a deeper understanding of world economics and international conflicts.

To understand the effects of arousal on motivation, think of two extremes.

The first is late at night. You are trying for the third time to understand a required reading, but you are so sleepy. Your attention drifts as your eyelids droop. You decide to go to bed now and get up early to study (a plan that you know seldom works). At the other extreme, imagine that you have a critical test tomorrow—one that determines whether you will get into the school you want. You feel tremendous pressure from everyone to do well. You know that you need a good night's sleep, but you are wide awake. In the first case, arousal is too low and in the second, too high. Psychologists have known for years that there is an optimum level of arousal for most activities. Generally speaking, higher levels of arousal are helpful on simple tasks such as sorting laundry, but lower levels of arousal are better for complex tasks such as taking the SAT or GRE.

curiosity arises when attention is focused on a gap in knowledge. expand

These information gaps cause a sense of deprivation—a need to know that we call "curiosity." - his idea is similar to Piaget's concept of disequilibrium, discussed in Cluster 2, and has a number of implications for teaching. First, students need some base of knowledge before they can experience gaps in that knowledge leading to curiosity. Second, students must be aware of the gaps in order for curiosity to result. In other words, they need a metacognitive awareness of what they know and don't know Asking students to make guesses and then providing feedback can be helpful. Also, proper handling of mistakes can stimulate curiosity by pointing to missing knowledge. Finally, the more we learn about a topic, the more curious we may become about that subject. fulfilling the need to know increases, not decreases, the need to know more

How can teachers help anxious learners

Third, teachers can support improved performance by teaching students more effective methods for learning and studying. Research on anxious learners indicates that they tend to spend more time studying, but the methods they adopt tend to be repetitive and low quality As teachers help students to build both the cognitive and emotional skills necessary to overcome anxiety, the students should begin to observe the steady gains in performance and ideally internalize the strategies that have helped them be more successful.

Guidelines: Coping with Anxiety.

Use competition carefully. Avoid situations in which highly anxious students will have to perform in front of large groups. Make sure all instructions are clear. Uncertainty can lead to anxiety. Avoid unnecessary time pressures. Remove some of the pressures from major tests and exams. Develop alternatives to written tests. Teach students self-regulation strategies

what would flow look like in schools

What would this look like in schools? In an interview, Csikszentmihalyi described a K-12 school in Indianapolis that built part of the curriculum around what each student targeted as intriguing personal learning goals for the year. The curriculum also included lessons focused on big ideas or themes for all students such as "Working in Harmony." Using that theme, Csikszentmihalyi said: "in mathematics you learn the harmony of numbers, and the beauty of being able to manipulate numbers so they always end up in the right way in the equations, and in music you learn the harmony of sounds. In social studies you learn about the history of wars and peace, especially peace and how we learn to work together in Sociology" - This school had a good balance of differentiation (developing individual interests) and integration (focus on shared interests). - adolescents' needs for "standing out" (differentiation) and "fitting in" (integration).

What should you connect academic content to

Whenever possible, it helps to connect academic content to students' enduring individual interests - But given that the content you will teach is determined by state standards in most classrooms today, it will be difficult to tailor every lesson to each student's interests. You will have to rely more on triggering and maintaining situational interest. - - Here, the challenge is to not only catch but also hold students' interest - - - found that using computers, groups, and puzzles caught students' interest in secondary mathematics classes, but the interests did not hold. Lessons that held the students' interest over time included math activities that were related to real-life problems and active participation in laboratory experiments and projects.

flow

a mental state in which you are fully immersed in a task with deep concentration and focused attention - When individuals are in flow, they face a highly challenging task with matching high levels of the needed skills—they are stretched but not broken. Individuals in flow experience greater enjoyment in the task, continue working without prompting, and tend to generate higher quality, more creative products first identified flow in studies of artists, chess players, mountain climbers, musicians, and children at play, but then he examined flow during the activities that take most of our time—work and in school. He found that flow was less common in school and more common at work, where people have clear goals, immediate feedback, and can apply their skills. The lowest levels of flow for adults occurred on the weekends when there were no particular goals or structured activities except watching television

avoidance strategy

along with going out for pizza or suddenly launching an all-out desk-cleaning attack (can't study until you get organized!)

academic anxieties

broad term that encompasses anxiety experiences in educational settings, has demonstrated that many forms of anxiety—test anxiety, math anxiety, science anxiety, public speaking anxiety—can lead to patterns of beliefs and behaviors that hamper performance and promote disengagement in learning Anxiety can be both a cause and an effect of school failure—students do poorly because they are anxious, and their poor performance increases their anxiety, creating a vicious cycle for the learner. Academic anxiety has both trait and state components. So your students may have a personal level of anxiety they bring to different learning situations, and the situation itself may trigger perceptions of threat or self-doubt that add to their basic trait level of anxiety

how does the difficulty to control our brains affect us

difficult to control aspects of our brains affect learning, attention, memory, and decision making - Humans are more likely to pay attention to, learn about, and remember events, images, and readings that provoke emotional responses - Emotions can affect learning by changing brain dopamine levels and the speed of neural firings that influence long-term memory, and by directing attention toward one aspect of the situation - Sometimes, emotions interfere with learning by taking up attention or working memory space that could be used for learning

In the early stages of this four-phase model...

emotions play a big role- feelings of excitement pleasure, fun, and curiosity. Situational interest may be triggered by positive feelings. Curiosity helps others stay engaged as they learn. Knowledge being added to her curiosity and positive feelings, personal interests will be emerged. Thus the cycle of positive feelings, curiosity, and knowledge continued to build enduring interest.

how to get different students engaged in math

in a study of math learning with older adolescents, concluded that catching interest by using colorful learning materials with pictures was helpful for students with low initial interest in mathematics, but not for students who were already interested in the subject. For the interested students, showing how math could be personally useful was more effective. In addition complex materials can be more interesting, as long as students have a growth mindset and believe they can effectively cope with the complexity When tasks are difficult and students have lower expectations for succeeding, you can support interest when you set goals that stress learning. With these mastery-approach goals, difficulties and mistakes are just part of learning and building your brain

emotions such as curiosity and boredom are both causes and consequences of what

learning processes - For example, boredom leads to inferior learning and poor learning leads to being more bored as the student falls farther (and hopelessly) behind. Boredom is the opposite of interest and curiosity and is a clear enemy of learning at every age. It is a big problem in classrooms because boredom is associated with difficulties in paying attention, lack of intrinsic motivation, weak effort, shallow processing of information, and poor self-regulated learning

anxiety

or a general uneasiness, a feeling of self-doubt, and sense of tension.

three phases of the learning- testing cycle

preparation, performance, and reflection.

three kinds of coping strategies:

problem-focused self-regulating learning strategies; emotional management; and avoidance. Different strategies are helpful at different points—for example, self-regulated learning before and emotion management during an exam (avoidance is seldom a good strategy). Different strategies fit different people and situations

four-phase model of interest development.

situational interests triggered> situational interest maintained> emerging individual interests> well developed individual interest As she waits nervously in the dentist's office, flipping through a magazine, her attention is drawn (situational interest trigger) to an article about a man who left his engineering job to become a facilitator in legal conflict resolution. When she is called to the dentist's chair, she is still reading the article, so she marks her place and returns to finish reading after her appointment (situational interest maintained). She takes notes, and, over the next weeks, searches the Internet, visits the library, and meets with her advisor to get more information about this career option (emerging individual interest). Four years later, Julia is enjoying her job as a facilitator as she handles more and more arbitration cases for a law firm (well-developed, enduring individual interest).

Contemporary orientations to academic anxiety suggest that anxiety affects

the beliefs and behaviors of learners in three phases of the learning-testing cycle: preparation, performance, and reflection.

In teaching, we are concerned about a particular kind of emotions—

those related to achievement in school. Experiences of success or failure can provoke achievement emotions such as pride, hope, boredom, anger, or shame