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Negative student emotions and educator skill in experiential education: a taxonomy of classroom activities

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Abstract

Experiential teaching practices can provide transformative learning opportunities for students. However, thus far the experiential education literature considers “experiential activities” monolithically, without acknowledging differences in emotions, particularly negative emotions, students may experience or educator skill in facilitating them. We hypothesized and assessed a “step up” taxonomy that differentiates activities by the negative emotions that students may experience and the educator skill required to run the activity effectively. We mapped 18 representative experiential activities onto four different levels, each requiring increased educator facilitation skill in managing potential student emotional distress. We proposed that as levels of student emotional risk and engagement increase, so do required educator disciplinary knowledge and facilitation skill in using different activities. Using survey data, a principal component analysis indicated a four-level taxonomy populated by different teaching activities. After sharing our hypothesized taxonomy and discussing how we modified it after empirical examination, we end the article with avenues for future research and practical considerations for experiential educators in any discipline that integrates experiential activities.

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Notes

  1. Journal of Management Education and Management Teaching Review are publications of the Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society (MOBTS); Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning is the publication of the Association of Business Simulation and Experiential Learning (ABSEL); Organization Management Journal is the publication of the Eastern Academy of Management (EAM); Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education is a publication of the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI).

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to our colleagues and respondents from the management education and development community. The article has benefited substantially from editorial guidance and suggestions from three anonymous reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Management, Marketing & Entrepreneurship, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8041, New Zealand

    Sarah Wright

  2. Economics & Management Department, Gustavus Adolphus College, 800 West College Avenue, Saint Peter, MN, 56082, USA

    Kathy Lund Dean

  3. College of Business, Western New England University, Springfield, MA, USA

    Jeanie M. Forray

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  1. Sarah Wright
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Correspondence to Kathy Lund Dean.

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Wright, S., Dean, K.L. & Forray, J.M. Negative student emotions and educator skill in experiential education: a taxonomy of classroom activities. High Educ 83, 987–1002 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00720-9

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