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Exploring emotional climate in preservice science teacher education

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Abstract

Classroom emotional climates (ECs) are interrelated with students’ engagement with university courses. Despite growing interest in emotions and EC research, little is known about the ways in which social interactions and different subject matter mediate ECs in preservice science teacher education classes. In this study we investigated the EC and associated classroom interactions in a preservice science teacher education class. We were interested in the ways in which salient classroom interactions were related to the EC during lessons centered on debates about science-based issues (e.g., nuclear energy alternatives). Participants used audience response technology to indicate their perceptions of the EC. Analysis of conversation for salient video clips and analysis of non-verbal conduct (acoustic parameters, body movements, and facial expressions) supplemented EC data. One key contribution that this study makes to preservice science teacher education is to identify the micro-processes of successful and unsuccessful class interactions that were associated with positive and neutral EC. The structure of these interactions can inform the practice of other science educators who wish to produce positive ECs in their classes. The study also extends and explicates the construct of intensity of EC.

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Acknowledgments

Contract grant sponsor: Australian Research Council Discovery Grant, administered by the Queensland University of Technology. Contract grant number: DP120100369.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Alberto Bellocchi, Stephen M. Ritchie, Maryam Sandhu & Satwant Sandhu

  2. City University of New York, New York City, NY, USA

    Kenneth Tobin

Authors
  1. Alberto Bellocchi
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  2. Stephen M. Ritchie
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  3. Kenneth Tobin
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  4. Maryam Sandhu
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  5. Satwant Sandhu
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Correspondence to Alberto Bellocchi.

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Lead Editor: A. Tan.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Australian Research Council.

Appendix: Transcript coding conventions based on ten Have (2007)

Appendix: Transcript coding conventions based on ten Have (2007)

[ A single left bracket indicates the point of overlap onset

] A single right bracket indicates the point at which an utterance or utterance part terminates

(0.1) Indicates elapsed silence in tenths of seconds

(.) Indicates elapsed silence of less than a tenth of a second

Underline is used to denote stressed sounds

- A dash indicates a cut-off sound

? A question mark indicates rising intonation

↑ An up arrow indicates rising pitch

º The degree symbol indicates utterances or parts of utterances that are softer than surrounding conversation

<> Right/left carets are used to bracket utterances or parts of utterances that are speeding up

h Hs indicate an outbreath

(()) Double parentheses contain the transcriber’s descriptions of actions pertaining to a part of the conversation.

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Bellocchi, A., Ritchie, S.M., Tobin, K. et al. Exploring emotional climate in preservice science teacher education. Cult Stud of Sci Educ 8, 529–552 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-013-9526-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-013-9526-3

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