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Emotions in Problem Solving

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Selected Regular Lectures from the 12th International Congress on Mathematical Education

Abstract

Emotions are important part of non-routine problem solving. A positive disposition to mathematics has a reciprocal relationship with achievement, both enhancing the other over time. In the process of solitary problem solving, emotions have a significant role in self-regulation, focusing attention and biasing cognitive processes. In social context, additional functions of emotions become apparent, such as interpersonal relations and social coordination of collaborative action. An illustrative case study presents the role of emotions in the problem solving process of one 10-year old Finnish student when he is solving an open problem of geometrical solids. The importance of emotions should be acknowledged also in teaching. Tasks should provide optimal challenge and feeling of control. The teacher can model the appropriate enthusiasm and emotion regulation. Joking and talking with a peer are important coping strategies for students.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    All names are pseudonyms

  2. 2.

    Curly brackets {} indicate observations and interpretations based on the video.

  3. 3.

    Square brackets [] indicate overlapping talk.

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Acknowledgments

This research has been funded by Academy of Finland (project #135556).

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  1. University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Markku S. Hannula

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  1. Markku S. Hannula
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Correspondence to Markku S. Hannula .

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  1. Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

    Sung Je Cho

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Hannula, M.S. (2015). Emotions in Problem Solving. In: Cho, S. (eds) Selected Regular Lectures from the 12th International Congress on Mathematical Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17187-6_16

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