Interest, enjoyment and pride after failure experiences? Predictors of students' state-emotions after success and failure during learning in mathematics

• Published in: Educational psychology (Dorchester-on-Thames) Vol. 31; no. 7; pp. 779 - 807
• Main Authors: Tulis, Maria, Ainley, Mary
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dorchester-on-Thames Routledge 01.12.2011; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: academic emotions; Academic failure; Attribution Theory; Computer Assisted Instruction; Emotional response; Emotions; Failure; failure experiences; Foreign Countries; Germany; Goal Orientation; Grade 5; Identification; Mathematics achievement; Mathematics Activities; Mathematics Education; Objectives; on-task measures; Predictor Variables; Primary education; Primary school mathematics; Primary school students; Psychological Patterns; Student attitudes; Student Motivation; Students; Success; Germany
• ISSN: 0144-3410; 1469-5820
• DOI: 10.1080/01443410.2011.608524

The current investigation was designed to identify emotion states students experience during mathematics activities, and in particular to distinguish emotions contingent on experiences of success and experiences of failure. Students' task-related emotional responses were recorded following experiences of success and failure while working with an individualised computer-based mathematics learning environment. In addition, relations between these patterns of emotional responses after success and failure experiences and trait-like motivational variables, self-concept of ability, subject value, orientation to learning from errors, goal orientation and causal attributions, were examined. Two separate studies are reported. In Study 1 emotions associated with success and failure experiences in mathematics were investigated in relation to self-concept of ability, subject value and orientation to learning from errors. In Study 2, patterns of emotion following success and failure were examined in relation to students' goal orientation and their causal attributions for success in school.