Affections in learning situations: a study of an entrepreneurship skills development course

• Published in: The journal of workplace learning Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 195 - 208
• Main Authors: Guedes Gondim, Sonia Maria, Mutti, Clara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bradford Emerald Group Publishing Limited 01.01.2011; Emerald
• Subjects: Adult education; Adult learning; Affect (Psychology); Affective Measures; Anxiety; Brazil; Cognition & reasoning; Consciousness; Courses; Educational psychology; Emotional Experience; Emotions; Entrepreneurs; Entrepreneurship; Experiential Learning; Foreign Countries; Individualized Instruction; Instructional Development; Learning; Learning Activities; Learning Processes; Learning Strategies; Neurosciences; Organizational learning; Psychological Patterns; Skill Development; Studies; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Workshops; Brazil; Brazil; Experiential learning; Workplace learning; Affective psychology; Adult education
• ISSN: 1366-5626; 1758-7859
• DOI: 10.1108/13665621111117224

Purpose - This paper aims to present the results of a study whose general objective is to characterize the affective states experienced in response to different teaching activities used in a workshop for developing entrepreneurial skills. It seeks to answer the following question: how affections and experiential learning strategies interrelate in the development of entrepreneurial skills?Design methodology approach - The study included 126 people enrolled in EMPRETEC, a nine-day course with a behavioral and experiential approach which aims to develop entrepreneurs' behavioral aspects. The affective states experienced by the participants were assessed on 13 moments during the workshop using the time-sampling method.Findings - The results suggest that the structure of the course favored the predominance of affective states such as joy, excitement, pleasure, and pride (categorized as affective states indicating motivation). Activities similar to real situations (as opposed to fictitious ones) generate greater emotional impact. It was also found that indirect learning activities (less similar to real situations) and interactive (team) activities are associated with lower levels of anxiety.Research limitations implications - Being an exploratory study on a particular case, these results cannot be generalized, suggesting the need for further in-depth studies.Practical implications - These results are an important guide for instructional planning in contemporary society that values the use of teaching methods that are experiential, collaborative, and encourage learner autonomy.Originality value - This paper offers to extend the discussion about emotions in the workplace and specifically their relationship to learning, a subject still little explored in recent literature.