Emoções face à matemática e progressão na escolaridade - Estudo longitudinal com alunos do 5º e do 7º anos de escolaridade

Abstract

As students progress in schooling they face new challenges which can impact on the emotions they feel in the educational context. To gain a better understanding of this process, a longitudinal research was developed to study Math emotions, perceived by students from 5th and 7th grades, as they progress through schooling. In addition gender and math performance effects were tested to see if any specificity on experienced emotions was introduced. Participants taking part were 1266 students, followed for 3 years. In the beginning of data collection, 674 (53,2%) of these were 5th graders and 592 (46,8%) were 7th graders. Students responded, once a year, in a questionnaire on the emotions they felt in relation to math classes and tests (boredom, hopelessness, anger, anxiety, enjoyment, proud, relief). The results showed a global decrease of positive emotions and an increase of negative emotions. However, emotions like anxiety, anger and relief, displayed a different pattern to those with the same valence. Academic Math performance and the group (5th/7th grade) were also identified as important variables to the understanding of students emotions through schooling.