Theory Review - Stress in Learning

 Theory Review – Stress in Learning

Your name	Commented On
David Barry	Nicole Brennan
David Barry	Sifat Baig

      In order for learning to occur, one must be prepared mentally to take on the task of receiving and processing new information.  Efficiently managing one’s feelings and emotions is part of the learning process.  Emotional intelligence, according to Daniel Goleman (1995), is the “ability to motivate oneself and persist in the face of frustrations, to control impulses and delay gratification, to regulate mood and keep distress from swamping one’s ability to think, to empathize with others, and to hope” (MacKeracher, 2010, pg. 137).  One must be able to focus their thoughts and feelings on the material that is presented to them.  They must be present in the moment; otherwise, the intake of new material will not only be inefficient but making necessary connections with the information will be nonexistent.  However, MacKeracher (2010) points out one crucial confounding variable and emotional roadblock to the learning process:  stress.  Stress can play a significant role in one’s ability to intake new information. 

                                                          Main Theoretical Points

What is stress?

     According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2022), stress is the “physical or mental response to an external cause” (para. 2).  Everyone deals with some sort of daily stress; however, when it becomes overwhelming and produces physical or mental challenges for the individual, this can create barriers to one being capable of absorbing new material.  All individuals react to stress differently.  Per Cingl (2018), “an individuals’ reaction to stress seems to be highly complex and to differ with respect to the type and duration of a stressor as well as with respect to various individual characteristics” (pg. 3).  If one is too over-stimulated, this can prove disastrous for learning as motivation and focus drop due to emotions running high, resulting in the individual withdrawing, and not performing adequately (MacKeracher, 2010). 

How does stress impact learning?

     One way that stress impacts learning can be explained thoroughly by a heuristic that is called the Yerkes-Dodson Law of 1908.  Per Whiting, Wass, Green, and Thomas (2021), the theory suggests that one’s arousal level determines how they distribute their individual attention via “anticipatory awareness” (pg. 180).   

  

a.)    Yerkes and Dodson Law (1908) b.) Diamond et al. (2007) depict actual results.

Retrieved from Whiting, Green, Thomas, 2021.

     Thoughts regarding this chart, provided by Yerkes and Dodson (1908) and updated further by Diamond et al. (2007), were that high arousal states produced greater performance on trivial tasks under novice conditions but lower performance on more complex tasks under more challenging conditions (Whiting et al., 2021, pg. 181).  Another observation that can be made based on the chart is that one could argue that optimal performance seems to hover right in the middle.  So, to perform adequately, under both novice and more challenging conditions, one must sustain an individually specific level of arousal.  Sapolsky (2015) adds that factors that contribute to how one deals with stress, such as vulnerability and resilience, “affect the shape of the inverted-U” takes (Whiting et al., 2021, pg. 180). 

     Stress can also impair one’s ability to remember information.  Depending on the severity of the stressor, it can sometimes trigger one’s fight or flight system.  As a result, cortisol and adrenaline are released into the bloodstream; this reaction can have a significant effect on one’s ability to learn content.  According to Vogel and Schwabe (2016), stress during learning sequences can increase encoding and acquisition of new information, but learning after a stressor is introduced is hindered, both retrieval and acquisition of new information.  This explains why one could psyche themselves out before even taking a test, as the stress of the test would be so overwhelming that it disrupts their ability to successfully retrieve memories.

     As stress accumulates and becomes more established and consistent it can break down a very fundamental part of learning:  communication.  Things to look out for that indicate a breakdown in communication include the following: 

•    Repeating phrases,
•     Not finishing sentences
•     Not listening,
•   Excessive talking or excessive silence
•   Omitting details
•   Repeating questions that have already been answered, and so on (MacKeracher, 2010, pg. 126). 

     Stress can produce many lasting side effects that are detrimental to the learning process.  This is further noticed when it comes to the way learners take in information at the onset of stress.  This is further indicated by not grasping the content provided.  Many times, students will process information in a manner that is consistent with “deletions, distortions, simplifications, and overgeneralizations in the individual’s personal model of reality” resulting in misunderstandings, confusion, and the inability to make connections or achieve the “Aha” moment when it comes to grasping new material (MacKeracher, 2010, pg. 127). 

Application

     As professionals and instructors, there are many ways in which we can ease the minds of our students and provide suitable learning experiences that are not only stimulating but provide an environment that is safe and understanding of student needs.  One way we can be supportive is by recognizing and understanding the differences between stress-induced behaviors and disruptive behaviors (MacKeracher, 2010).  By being mindful of what behaviors are consistent with stress, this can help reduce any miscommunications or misconceptions about the student.  This allows instructors to adjust and provide the necessary support that the student needs to maintain focus. 

     Another helpful way that teachers can provide quality learning opportunities for students under stress is to reduce the amount of immediate demand on the student (MacKeracher, 2010).  This can help reduce the risk of stimulus overload.  Learners who often feel overwhelmed are less like to take in the new information and are more likely to forget what they learned.  Simple accommodations such as extra time allowed on tests can certainly help ease the minds of students who struggle with timed tasks due to the pressure. 

    An additional strategy that instructors can employ to help relieve stress levels is to create a safe environment (MacKeracher, 2010).  Making sure that students understand that the classroom is free of threats and that they are capable of building trusting relationships with peers and their proctor can help set a relaxing tone.  This can ease the feelings the student might be exhibiting and help them focus their energy on the tasks at hand.  Positive energy and encouragement can help facilitate learning and improve retrieval. 

     Finally, another way that instructors can help alleviate stress is to encourage communication with their students (MacKeracher, 2010).  Allowing students to have discussions before or even after class can help reduce stress and provide opportunities for any confusion on the material to be cleared up.  This enables a student to be more engaging, especially during a situation or sequence where immediate feedback could be quite helpful.  The conversations could also prove to be an opportunity where strategies for learning and absorbing information could be discussed. 

Reflection

     After going over the material within this chapter and reading the research articles utilized it became clear to me why, in some portions of my life, I struggled to perform my best in academic endeavors.  It is imperative that instructors understand the needs of their students and to provide an environment that is not only supportive but free of unnecessary factors that could confound the results the student is trying to achieve.  Making sure that material is not only engaging but connected to real-life sequences is very important, particularly when considering motivation.  I stress the need for students to be aware of how stress can affect their learning potential and the strategies that can be employed to deal with those challenges. 

     I understand now why many syllabi come with the mention of not only accessibility to the professor to ask for help or to address questions, but also the references for student assistance in terms of counseling that is offered by student services.  Additionally, the whole process of researching this particular section of emotional intelligence helped me gain a greater appreciation of the process behind instructing others and the responsibility the student contributes to the sequence of learning as well. 

Process

     The process I took to complete this assignment was the following.  First, I looked for research articles via OneSearch via the Ball State Library site, checking off peer-reviewed research and full-text online.  https://www.bsu.edu/academics/libraries   Using keywords such as Stress in Learning, or Stress and Learning, I was able to find information to support my topic.  One thing that I find helpful is making a checklist of everything needed to complete the assignment, going do the list, and checking off things one by one.  Using an outline and organizing the paper is quite helpful as well.   

  

Table 1.  Summary of the theoretical ideas

	The main theoretical ideas –Be specific		Summary of how to apply the main theoretical ideas in practice
Idea 1	Engage Students	Get to know your students and understand their needs.  Do not assume or past judgment based on behavior (MacKeracher, 2010).
Idea 2	Reduce Demands	Reducing the onset of demands on students can help establish a more relaxed environment that can help lower stress levels and minimize distractions.  Extra time on quizzes is also beneficial (MacKeracher, 2010).
Idea 3	Safe Environment	Create an environment that is supportive, where trust can be established, and provide encouragement and resources to help with student difficulties (MacKeracher, 2010).
Idea 4	Communication	Establish open communication with students.  Whether before or after class, allowing for concerns and or questions to be answer providing clarify (MacKeracher, 2010).

References

Cingl, L. (2018). Social learning under acute stress. PloS One, 13(8), e0202335-

           e0202335. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202335       

Diamond, D. M., Campbell, A. M., Park, C. R., Halonen, J., & Zoladz,P. R. (2007). The

temporal dynamics model of emotionalmemory processing: A synthesis on the     neurobiological basisof stress-induced amnesia, flashbulb and traumatic mem-ories, and the Yerkes-Dodson law.Neural Plasticity, 2007, 60806-60833.  https://doi.org/10.1155/2007/60803

MacKeracher, D. (2010). Making sense of adult learning. University of Toronto Press.

Sapolsky, R. M. (2015). Stress and the brain: Individual variabilityand the inverted-U.Nature

Neuroscience,18(10), 1344–1346.https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4109

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). I'm so stressed out! fact sheet. National

Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved February 20, 2022, from  

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/so-stressed-out-fact-sheet

Vogel, S., Schwabe, L. (2016). Learning and memory under stress: implications for the

classroom. npj Science Learn 1, 16011. https://doi.org/10.1038/npjscilearn.2016.11

Whiting, S.B., Wass, S.V., Green, S. and Thomas, M.S.C. (2021), Stress and Learning in Pupils:

Neuroscience Evidence and its Relevance for Teachers. Mind, Brain, and Education, 15: 177-188. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12282

Yerkes, R. M., & Dodson, J. D. (1908). The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit-

formation.  Journal of Comparative Neurological Psychology,18(5), 459–482.

https://www.doi.org/10..1002/cne.920180503

Lyston Louks, Theory Review

Theory Review

Lyston Louks

EDAC-635

Spring 2022

Dr. Bo Chang

February 6, 2022

Your Name	Commented On
Lyston Louks	Logan Marlatt
	Amy Hurt

Theory Review: Emotions in Learning and Social Emotional Learning

Main Theoretical Points

Education is generally seen as a field of logic, where emotions do not have a large presence. Recently, the topic of emotions in learning has become more popular, and researchers have been looking at how our emotions can impact our learning and performance. Our emotions can assist us with forming relationships, which can be conducive to our learning experience. Within the field of childhood education, social and emotional learning, or SEL, are becoming more common, but should also be applied within higher education for adults. Five of the most important ideas behind SEL are student emotions, instructor emotions, forming relationships, motivation, and performance. 

Student emotions are vital to the learning experience, as they are directly experienced by the student. Värlander states that emotions “are central to our ways of knowing, and they can either impede or motivate learning” (2008). Often, our emotions drive our decision making, and can directly impact our daily lives. While more neurotic emotions such as grief, anger, and anxiousness can be seen as negative to our learning, “all emotions can actually be helpful signals of how to learn better” (Värlander, 2008). Emotions that are seen as negative can be an opportunity to grow, and it is important to be optimistic about our learning and potential. Social and emotional learning emphasizes how learners can manage their emotions in a healthy and positive way (Elmi, 2020). Every person experiences emotion, but it is important to know how to manage our emotions in a healthy way and learn from our experiences. 

While student emotions are important, it is also important to look at the emotions of the instructor. Instructor emotions can impact both how learners are able to retain information, as well as how student-teacher relationships are formed (Quinlan, 2016). If an instructor is able to show emotions with their students, it is more likely to form a bond between the learners and the instructor. Teacher behavior and attitude can have an either positive or negative influence on student interest in the subject or learning in general (Mendzheritskaya & Hansen, 2019). Instructor emotion and their portrayal of emotion can also either impede or benefit learners and their ability to learn, due to the environment it creates. If an instructor is happy and shows it, learners will be more excited about the subject at hand. Within social and emotional learning, it is important to ensure the instructors are also aware of their emotions and how they impact learners. 

Forming relationships is an important aspect of social and emotional learning, as we form relationships in our everyday lives. These relationships can be between learners, or between learners and instructors. Quinlan states that “the way teachers communicate affects students emotionally. When students perceive that their teachers listen and show immediacy through behaviors that generate a sense of closeness, they experience the class more positively, feel emotionally supported, and can express their own emotions more authentically” (2019). When students feel appreciated and supported, they report more positive experiences with the class and are able to be themselves with their instructors. This also ties in with instructors’ emotions, but this allows for students to feel a connection with their instructors. Peer relationships are also extremely important. Interactions with peers “mediate a number of key educational outcomes including changes in values and attitudes” (Quinlan, 2019).  When students interact with peers, students grow and learn new perspectives. 

Our motivation can be either helped or hindered by our emotions, whether the emotions are positive or negative. Positive emotions have been found to have a generally positive impact on our motivation and performance, while negative emotions can be either positive or negative to our motivation and performance (Rowe & Fitness, 2018). Having peer relationships can also help with motivating us and our performance, as they give us another support system we can lean on outside of our instructors. We may feel intimidated by instructors, but feel comfortable with going to our peers, which can help with our performance. 

Applications

Implementing social and emotional learning can be extremely helpful within a higher education setting. Teaching learners of all ages more about their emotions can be conducive for learning, and ensure students are able to manage their emotions at all ages. Entering higher education is a significant commitment, and it is important to be prepared for those life changes. Having some form of SEL at all stages of our life can help us with major life changes, and managing our emotions and stress. This can also help instructors with bonding with their students, and being able to express their own emotions in a healthy way that does not hinder the learning process for students.

Social and emotional learning can help us with maintaining relationships, as we are able to express our emotions and how we feel to others. If we are able to control our emotions and learn how to interact well with others, we will be able to build and maintain better relationships. As we get older and have more responsibilities, it may be harder to maintain friendships, as life gets in the way. Having SEL to teach us about maintaining relationships as we get older can help us with our learning, as we can better interact with our peers. 

Motivation and performance are a large part of higher education, since our success is largely determined by our motivation. Through SEL, we can learn how to manage our emotions and utilize our negative emotions and make them positively impact our motivation and performance. When we are able to use both positive and negative emotions to our advantage, we are likely to be more successful within our academic paths. 

Reflection

Highlights

I really enjoyed this project, and I feel that I took a unique perspective when looking at emotions in learning from a sociological perspective. I am a sociologist at heart, and it is difficult for me to look at things from a perspective that isn’t sociological. I think adding a sociological perspective gave my review a unique aspect. 

Process

With this project, I personally had a slow start. When I write papers, I try to start with gathering all of my sources, and writing my references page. I feel that it helps to keep myself somewhat grounded, and I don’t feel overwhelmed. I also try to play music to keep myself grounded, and keep myself in a somewhat quiet environment. When it comes to time management, it is a good idea to set goals ahead of time, and make a list of things you want to accomplish by a certain date. I usually try to do this, but with some extenuating circumstances I was unable to for this assignment. When working with a group, the best thing one can do is to communicate. Let your group members know if you are unable to do something, if you are struggling, or if you feel confused. 

Table 1. Summary of the Theoretical Ideas

Main Ideas	Application
Student emotions can impact their learning.	Implementing SEL within higher education will allow for students to learn more about how to manage their emotions with the growing responsibilities attached to higher education.
Teacher emotions can impact both student learning and student-teacher relationships.	Instructors need to be mindful about their behaviors and mannerisms, as their mood can impact student learning. Instructors also partaking in SEL can be helpful.
Relationships are essential to education and can make students feel welcomed and valued.	Forming bonds between both instructors and peers is essential for learning and emotions, SEL can assist learners with maintaining relationships.
Motivation and performance can be determined by our emotions as well as our perception of value. If we feel valued by our instructors, we gain motivation.

References

Elmi, C. (2020). Integrating social emotional learning strategies in higher education. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 10, 848-858. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe10030061

Mendzheritskaya, J., & Hansen, M. (2019). The role of emotions in higher education teaching and learning processes. Studies in Higher Education, 44(10), 1709-1711. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1665306

Quinlan, K. M. (2016). How emotion matters in four key relationships in teaching and learning in higher education. College Teaching, 64(3), 101-111. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2015.1088818

Rowe, A. D., & Fitness, J. (2018). Understanding the role of negative emotions in adult learning and achievement: A social functional perspective. Behavioral Science, 8(27), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs8020027

Värlander, S. (2008). The role of students’ emotions in formal feedback situations. Teaching in Higher Education, 13(2), 145-156. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562510801923195

  Theory Review: Understanding Emotional Intelligence in Learning

Andi Miller

 

Name	Commented On
Andi Miller	Ashten Lail
Andi Miller	David Barry

 

            

        Intrapersonal or emotional intelligence is one of the seven intelligences identified in Gardner’s proposed theory of multiple intelligences (MacKeracher, 2004). It is defined as the ability for one to acknowledge and decipher their own feelings; this self-awareness guides one in their behavior and knowledge of their own wants, needs, strengths and weaknesses and intelligences (MacKeracher, 2004). Emotions and the energy the human body expels are necessary in learning and these emotions explain why someone chooses to learn and what keeps them going when barriers present themselves. Emotional intelligence play into the emotions of learning because it is a necessary skill for a learner to build resilience, work toward their educational and career goals, and to build healthy relationships.

Main Theoretical Points

According to Mackeracher, there are five components of emotional intelligence that is supported by the work of Goleman, Salovey, and Mayer; these components are, knowing one’s emotions, managing one’s emotions, motivating oneself, recognizing emotions in others and handling relationships (2004). These components are vital in the continued research, understanding and application of emotional intelligence in the classroom. 

            The first component to address is knowing one’s emotions or self-awareness. This concept is the act of recognizing emotions as they happen, whether they are positive or negative, and those who are deemed emotionally intelligent can accurately perceive, respond, and express their emotions (MacKeracher, 2004). Teachers must understand why some students can face adversity in their learning journey and others cannot (Mega et al., 2014). It is important to note the influence of emotions and the value of teaching self-awareness as a skill to support not only academic success but also life success. Self-awareness of one’s emotions as a skill carry over to professional settings and evidence suggests that this skill is often lacking in managers (Sheldon et al., 2014). This is important to note, as adults continue to learn in their field, self-awareness is necessary to evaluate their own performance and remain a skilled worker. 

            The second component discussed is managing one’s emotions. Managing emotions included monitoring, evaluating, and regulating one’s moods and emotions; doing so allows individuals to handle feelings as they happen, minimizing the effect of emotions on the ability to think as well as controlling impulsivity (MacKeracher, 2004). This skill builds on self-awareness by actively regulating the effect of emotions to remain on task. The ability to regulate emotions also allows students to participate in self-regulated learning, meaning they are in control of how they learn and the ability to be a responsible learner (Mega et al., 2014).  Self-regulated learning is linked to emotions because the more positive emotions a learner experience then the higher likelihood they also implore self-regulated learning tools that influence academic success. Teachers can address emotions through achievement and mastery activities, empowering students to build regulation skills with their emotions and the tools they use to self-regulate learning (Mega et al., 2014). Managing this component of emotional intelligene is also linked to performance in the workplace. Studies show that feedback interventions often fail because workers have not developed the skill of emotional management (Sheldon et al., 2014). Meaning that those workers with lower emotional intelligence often dismiss negative feedback and avoid skill development, this lack of skill in turn affects organizational competence and overall product (Sheldon et al., 2014).

            The third component of emotional intelligence is motivating oneself, meaning learners can harness their emotions to persist through barriers (MacKeracher, 2004). Motivation is important to note in the classroom because not every has the same goal or motivation and while positive emotions can motivate a learner to persevere, negative emotions can also impact a learners ability solve problems. There are three aspects of motivation are theoretically linked: implicit intelligence theory, self-efficacy, and achievement goals (Mega et al., 2014). Implicit theories of intelligence support both ideas of motivation; one being that motivation is a malleable factor and the other being that motivation is fixed (Mega et al., 2014). This is important because based on which idea a student subscribes to, it will affect how they process emotions and in turn what self-regulated learning activities they partake in. Self-efficacy is strongly linked to past achievements, difficulties, and the personal history of a student (Mega et al., 2014). The idea of self-efficacy is directly related to the skill of emotion regulation, for students to build self-efficacy within the classroom they must also be able to manage negative emotions. Finally, achievement goal theory, is one of the most researched motivation frameworks, and the goals students set represent their purpose within learning (Mega et al., 2014). It is important for educators to tie emotion regulation with motivation to encourage self-efficacy and increase achievement goal setting. 

            The fourth component of emotional intelligence moves from self and moves to recognizing emotions in others. Addressing emotions in others requires empathy and being aware of the wants and needs of others; the ability to hone this skill increase perception of being genuine and kind, while the lack of skill often results in perceptions of being cold or oblivious (MacKeracher, 2004). A responsibility to teach this skill, lies in the ability of teachers to first learn empathy as a professional disposition. Empathy is a skill necessary to teach across diverse student populations effectively, specifically white teachers who are in classrooms that are racially diverse (Warren, 2013). The skill is learned in two phases, the first being to acquire new knowledge and the second being strategic negation of the new knowledge along with the feedback of students to adjust student-teacher interactions on a pedagogic level (Warren, 2013).

            Finally, the fifth component addresses handling relationships with others. Managing emotions and moods with oneself as well as others is essential to build relationships. This requires one to be self-aware of emotions within themselves and others as well as regulate those emotions to respond in an appropriate and effective way (MacKeracher, 2004). This skill is just as important in facilitators because classrooms can often evoke an array of emotions and the ability to do so persuasively will help encourage academic success as well as build emotional intelligence in students. Groups are often used in classrooms to build practical knowledge of topic material, but it is important to note that groups serve as social systems. Collective emotional intelligence is the ability for a group to regulate member and groups emotions through set group norms (Curşeu et al., 2014). Studies also note the importance of acknowledging gender when building groups to increase the collective emotional intelligence of groups. Women often have higher social sensitivity and relational orientation, therefore encouraging teachers to allow women to lead groups to encourage relationship building and the overall collective emotional intelligence of learning groups (Curşeu et al., 2014).

Application

Self-awareness and regulation application

            Being aware of one’s emotions and the ability to regulate emotions as they present themselves is a foundational skill to becoming emotionally intelligent. These skills are necessary to building a better relationship with learning, educational outcomes, job performance and satisfaction with life (Mega et al., 2014) (Pirsoul et al., 2021). Pirsoul et al., found that the better a person is at comprehending and regulating their emotions, the more likely they would have job satisfaction, less emotional exhaustion, better work-family balance, and less conflict at work (2021).  It was also found by Mega et al., that undergraduate students who understood their feelings about academic standards, goals, and outcomes then they are more likely they were to succeed in the classroom (2014).  These skills can be taught in the classroom and by facilitators like career counselors. First teachers can use assessment tools such as the Motivation Questionnaire or the Emotional Questionnaire so students and facilitator can get a baseline of where they are at and can grow within the emotional intelligence. Second teachers can offer reflection activities throughout the class syllabus. This will not be just about if they enjoyed certain projects or not but a deep dive into their feelings and reactions to those feelings. This will allow teachers to check-in with students emotionally and help guide if necessary to encourage academic success. 

Empathy application

            Learning and building empathy as a teaching tool is necessary to serve diverse classrooms in the way they deserve, especially students of color. To do this, teachers and facilitators must learn their students’ preferences for social interaction, learning styles, communication patterns and issues that matter to them most (Warren, 2013). Facilitators can emerge themselves in the learning of their students by completing initial surveys at the beginning of the course that ask cultural questions a long with learning style questions. This can give a foundation for what the teacher can look out for when addressing students, putting them in groups and when deciding on what material to focus on in lessons. While there are concrete ways to build empathy, it is important to note that this skill and knowledge is built upon throughout classroom time. Teachers must constantly be observing interactions between students, their peers, and other teachers, only then can you apply empathy and improve student-teacher interactions. 

Building relationships application

            

    Group work is a corner stone of classrooms and while it can offer some students with learning material in a collective manor, it also brings up other skills necessary for the work force like teamwork and conflict resolution. Building relationships and recognizing how others’ feel are two of the five components necessary to be emotionally intelligent and in order build this skill, students need to work with others, whether they enjoy it or not. Gender and the roles that society has built for men and women within this binary gender spectrum can play a role in the effectiveness of group work (Curşeu et al., 2014). 

In a study by Curşeu et al., the higher the percentage of women in a group the higher the collective emotional intelligence of the group was and in turn the more effective the group was (2014). Women, tend to have more emotional and social skills that encourage them to lead and work in teams in an effective way. Facilitators can take this data and use it to their advantage in two ways. One being that when creating small groups, they make sure that the women in the class are split evenly with at least two or more in a group. This will increase the likelihood that groups will have better teamwork, less conflict and will be more competent in the work. The second way is to acknowledge how cultural norms have created this imbalance of emotional intelligence amongst men and women and that gender is not a binary system. By doing so, teachers can create an atmosphere that teaches emotional intelligence growth and creates a safe space for all students including those who do not identify as cis gender. 

 

Reflection

Highlights

            Two highlights came out of my theory review of emotional intelligence in learning. The first being the articles I found to support how emotional intelligence is used in the professional setting. Often adult education theory revolves around academia or a formal classroom, but to see how businesses and professionals can use emotional intelligence theory to build a better work force was interesting to me. Adult education happens in many types of classrooms and career development is one area I am interested in perusing in my own professional life, being able to pair this interest with my interest in building my own emotional intelligence was enlightening.

            The second highlight that came out of my theory review was my personal self-reflection of my own level of emotional intelligence. I did not have a traditional undergraduate experience and I have carried those past experiences with me for a while, causing negative emotions around my own self-efficacy in school. Learning more about each component of emotional intelligence has encouraged me to address those emotions to better my self-regulated learning as well as my skills as a facilitator.  

Process

            To begin the research process, I first read Chapter 6, Emotions and motives in learning, by Dorothy Mackeracher to gain a better grasp of how emotions effect learning. Through that reading I found the excerpt on emotional intelligence and found the five components of emotional intelligence interesting. This led to my academic research on the Ball State online library, where I used the main points and definition of the components to research how emotional intelligence influences adult education. 

            I was able to find one article that gave an overview of emotions in learning, 3 articles that addressed self-awareness, emotion regulation, and motivation and the remaining article gave insight to recognizing emotions in others and building relationships. All articles gave practical knowledge on how to use theory in the classroom or professional setting. 

             

Main Theoretical Ideas	How to Apply the Idea
Knowing one’s own emotions	Self-awareness is the hallmark to the skills of knowing one’s emotions (MacKeracher, 2004). The ability to name and react to emotions in an appropriate manor is necessary to build an effective workforce (Sheldon et al., 2014). In career training, facilitators can build self-awareness by conducting practical skill assessments, creating an environment where workers can accurately assess their work and address the emotions that accompany success or failure.
Managing one’s emotions	The ability to manage emotions is linked to academic and professional success (Mega et al., 2014) (Sheldon et al., 2014). Learning to assess one’s emotions and the ability to not allow emotions to hinder success is vital. Facilitators who offer mastery or achievement activities, offer students a chance to build positive emotions around emotion regulation. This can be in the form of feedback interventions with works to build regulating negative emotions when confronted with negative feedback.
Motivating oneself	There are three theoretical aspects linked to motivation. They are implicit learning intelligences, self-efficacy, and achievement goal theory (Mega et al., 2014). Facilitators can use these theories in practice to build motivation. First acknowledging how students relate to motivation in a malleable or fixed view, which can in turn affect perceptions of self-efficacy. Second, by creating task-oriented activities to build self-efficacy. Finally, the facilitator can create achievement goals based on the task activities which will also encourage positive self-efficacy. By combining all approaches positive emotions around learning are created and in turn encourage motivation to continue learning.
Recognizing emotions in others	Empathy is a necessary tool for facilitators to learn and implement in classrooms to building relationships and encourage emotional intelligence among students. Practically, Warren suggests that building empathy happens in two phases. 1. Gaining new knowledge 2. Interpreting new knowledge along with student feedback to adjust student-teacher interactions (2013).
Handling relationships	Collective emotional intelligence is the ability for groups to regulate self and group emotions through a set of norms (Curşeu et al., 2014). Acknowledging societal gender roles and the increased skill women have in navigating social groups is important in building collective emotional intelligence in classrooms. In a practical setting, teachers should encourage groups to elect women as leaders and to set social norms to navigate the inevitable emotions that will arise in group work.

 

 

References:

 

Curşeu, P. L., Pluut, H., Boroş, S., & Meslec, N. (2015). The magic of collective emotional intelligence in learning groups: No guys needed for the spell! British Journal of Psychology (London, England : 1953), 106(2), 217–234. https://doi-org.proxy.bsu.edu/10.1111/bjop.12075

 

MacKeracher, Dorothy. 2004. Making sense of adult learning. Toronto: University of Toronto

Press.

 

Mega, C., Ronconi, L., & De Beni, R. (2014). What makes a good student? How emotions, self-regulated learning, and motivation contribute to academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 106(1), 121–131. https://doi-org.proxy.bsu.edu/10.1037/a0033546

 

Pirsoul, T., Parmentier, M., & Nils, F. (2021). One step beyond emotional intelligence measurement in the career development of Adult Learners: A bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling framework. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01772-x 

 

Sheldon, O. J., Dunning, D., & Ames, D. R. (2014). Emotionally unskilled, unaware, and uninterested in learning more: Reactions to feedback about deficits in emotional intelligence. Journal of Applied Psychology, 99(1), 125–137. https://doi-org.proxy.bsu.edu/10.1037/a0034138

 

Warren, C. A. (2013). Towards a pedagogy for the application of empathy in culturally diverse classrooms. The Urban Review, 46(3), 395–419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-013-0262-5