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Undergraduate mathematics students’ emotional experiences in Linear Algebra courses

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Abstract

Little is known about students’ emotions in the field of Mathematics Education that go beyond students’ emotions in problem solving. To start filling this gap this qualitative research has the aim to identify emotional experiences of undergraduate mathematics students in Linear Algebra courses. In order to obtain data, retrospective focus group interviews were carried out with 27 students. Data analysis is based on the theory of cognitive structure of emotions, which specifies eliciting conditions for each emotion and the variables that affect intensity of emotions. Results show that the participants’ emotional experiences in Linear Algebra courses are: satisfaction and disappointment emotions, fear emotions, distress emotions and self-reproach emotions. These emotions are triggered by the appraisal of different situations like the difficulty attributed to Linear Algebra courses, solving problems, asking questions in class, going to the blackboard to solve problems and failure in a course. The students’ emotional experiences are based on their appraisal of the situations in terms of specific goals and standards. Some implications for future research on affect in Mathematics Education are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

The research reported in this article was supported by the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (CONACYT, Basic Scientific Research 2012: 178564) and by Autonomous University of Guerrero (México). We appreciate the help of the teacher Ofelia Montelongo in conducting the fieldwork and the help of Marisa Miranda Tirado in revising this manuscript. We are very grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions for improving this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Centre of Mathematics Education of Mathematics Academic Unit, Autonomous University of Guerrero, Av. Lázaro Cárdenas S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, Chilpancingo, Guerrero, Mexico

    Gustavo Martínez-Sierra

  2. Research Centre of Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico, Mexico, Mexico

    María del Socorro García-González

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  1. Gustavo Martínez-Sierra
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  2. María del Socorro García-González
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Correspondence to Gustavo Martínez-Sierra.

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Martínez-Sierra, G., García-González, M. Undergraduate mathematics students’ emotional experiences in Linear Algebra courses. Educ Stud Math 91, 87–106 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10649-015-9634-y

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