BASIC EMOTIONS OF PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN

MATHEMATICS LESSONS
Ineta Helmane
Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy
The article describes and analyzes theoretical and empirical materials the
experienced emotions by pupils when learning mathematics in primary school and
highlight the factors arousing emotions in learning mathematics in primary school.
The article analyses the data obtained in empirical research on the emotions
experienced by pupils during mathematics lessons in primary school. In
questionnaires and semi-structured interviews pupils reveal what gave them positive
emotions in mathematics lessons, as well as what made them experience negative
emotions. According to the analysis of empirical data we highlighted the factors of
learning mathematics in primary school which caused positive emotions.
INTRODUCTION
The great pace of life in the contemporary society demands emotionally powerful
people, able to maintain a positive attitude towards life, overcome the fast increasing
tension and stress, sustaining appropriate self-esteem, healthy self-confidence
(Helmane, 2010). One of the meaningful components creating a harmonious
individual is emotions. Emotions mobilize each individuals psychic and physical
strength for the further activity to reach the goal, or prevent and hinder the
individuals activities, participation in the diverse life- activity processes (Forgas,
1998; , 2000; Thompson & Meyer, 2007). Therefore, it is necessary to be
aware of the factors which evoked positive emotions in pupils when learning
mathematics at school. The aim of the research is to investigate the experienced basic
emotions by pupils when learning mathematics in primary school and highlight the
factors arousing emotions in learning mathematics in primary school.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The essence of basic emotions
Basic emotions appear already in the first years of life through all cultures and with
slight or without variations (Miezitis, 1992; , 2000), they are based on the
demonstration of a persons movements and expressions (Carlson, 1990). All basic
emotions possess the following characteristic features: they attract a clear, strong
feeling which a person is aware of; they develop as a result of evolution - biological
processes; they have an organizing and motivating affect on the person, serve for his
adaptation (, 2000) and manifest themselves in expressive and specific
configuration of the movements of facial muscles - mimics (LeDoux, 1998; ,
2000). Basic emotions have their own brain substrates which are closely linked with
brain structures ensuring the work of memory and other cognitive processes
( & , 2002).

According to their polarity (positive vs. negative) basic emotions are divided into two
groups: positive basic emotions as a signal of welfare and negative basic emotions as
a signal of alarm, danger for the body (, 2001). The physiological base of such
positive basic emotions as joy, interest, surprise (Kagan & Havermann, 1980; Ekman,
1984; Carlson, 1990; Miezitis, 1992; , 2000) is mainly excitation process.
Positive emotions tone up the bodys activities and activate the person, generate
strength and energy as well as enhance the persons capability of mental work,
increase energy, promote heuristic or creative processing (Carlson, 1990; ,
1999; , 2001; Ambady & Gray, 2002; Fredrickson, 2004). However, negative
basic emotions: anger, hatred, disgust, fear, shame, fault, sorrow (Kagan &
Havermann, 1980; Ekman, 1984; Carlson, 1990; , 2000) are based on retention
process. Negative emotions usually depress, even paralyse a person as well as
decrease a persons activity and also reduce energetic resources (Carlson, 1990;
Selighran, 1995; , 1999; , 2001). Negative emotions are associate with
reduced accuracy on tasks that tap memory, intelligence, and executive functioning
(Hartlage et al., 1993; Veiel, 1997). Therefore, emotions may have a positive or
negative affect on a persons life processes, becoming a determining force of a
persons action in crucial moments of life.
Emotions in teaching-learning process
Emotions are involved in almost every aspect of the teaching and learning process
(Schutz & Lanehart, 2002). Pupils emotions are formed at the interface of personal,
contextual, and social aspects of learning (Volet & Jrvel, 2001; Ainley & Hidi,
2002; Schutz & Pekrun, 2007). The teaching/learning process based on positive
emotions proceeds more successfully (, 2001). If we do something with
pleasure, we will try to do the same in future (, 1999; Frenzel, Perkun &
Goetz, 2007). Within positive emotions a more profound approach to the acquisition
of various skills and knowledge develops which facilitates openness to new things,
creativity and energy to be productive (Olsonm & Torrance, 1996; Gorman, 2001;
& , 2002). The positive emotions become a strong motivating,
suggestive factor for future actions (LeDoux, 1998; Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2000;
Fredrickson, 2001). If successful, emotions positively motivate and reinforce several
extremely successful activities, guesses and ideas which came up during the
completion of tasks.
However, negative emotions direct attention and cognitive processing in a negative
way (Power & Dalgleish, 1997; Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2004), reduce the
effectiveness of learning, the working memory, the ability to acquire various types of
knowledge, skills as well as creativity (Olsonm & Torrance, 1996; Linnenbrink &
Pintrich, 2000). If pupil is doing something with negative emotions, he/she will try to
stop doing it in all possible ways in future (, 1999; Frenzel, Perkun &
Goetz, 2007). Also monotonous, boring learning process and failures cause negative
emotions (Selighran, 1995).

Learning mathematics is connected with the pupils individual experience in

mathematics and applying it in everyday life, the perspective of his individual
learning where emotional factors are as significant and important as cognitive factors
in learning process (Tosse, Falkencrone, Puurula, & Bergstedt, 1998). Emotions also
include and sustain pupils interest in learning material (Ainley, Corrigan &
Richardson, 2005; Krapp, 2005), in teaching/learning content. Paris and Ayers (1994)
underline the value of emotions in learning process - nobody can develop
mathematics or intellectual values without emotions, especially in mathematics. The
positive learning experience can help to change negative thoughts and feelings and
raise pupils motivation in learning process (Paris & Ayers, 1994). Pupils who
experience more positive emotions may generate more ideas and strategies. In
addition, emotions can have an impact on different cognitive, regulatory and thinking
strategies (Pekrun, 1992), affect categorising, thinking and problem solving (Sutton
& Wheatley, 2003). In contrast negative emotions may trigger the use of more rigid
strategies, such as simple rehearsal and reliance on algorithmic procedures, thus
leading to reduced attention and more superficial processing of information (Pekrun
et al., 2002). If a pupil feels sad, she/he may be preoccupied with thoughts about
negative emotions and unable to refocus her/his attention on educational information.
This would have implications for childrens academic performance (Davis & Levine,
2013). Negative emotions also commonly disrupt mathematics learning. Some
children have a condition termed math anxiety that is characterised by fear of
mathematics (Ashcraft, 2002; Hinton & Miyamoto, 2008). This emotional state
disrupts cognitive strategies and working memory (Ashcraft & Kirk, 2001).
Research of pupils basic emotions in mathematics lessons
The research of emotions experienced by pupils in mathematics lessons in primary
school was carried out in Grade 3 in four Riga schools, total of 107 pupils (age 8-9).
The selection of the schools involved into the research was done by intentional
assessing of the school environment descriptions, based on the similarities of the
following qualities: school social economic environment, ethnic environment,
schools physical environment, time-table, the number of pupils in the school, as well
as the length of the teachers pedagogical experience. The selection of the classes
involved into the research was done by intentional assessing of the mathematics
lessons descriptions, based on the similarities of the following qualities: National
Basic Education Standard (2006), mathematics text books according to List of
Confirmed and Published text books (2009), 4 mathematics lessons per week. The
research was done within the academic year over the period from 2012 to 2013 in
which pupils self-evaluate experienced basic emotions while learning mathematics in
primary school were explored.
The data were obtained applying such empiric research methods as questionnaires
with open questions, semi-structured interviews and test as Dembos methodology for
self-assessment of basic emotions by Trubanova ( & , 1998;
Helmane, 2010). The aim of empirical research methods was to select and to specify

the experienced basic emotions by pupils in mathematics lessons in primary school

and the factors evoking emotions in general learning mathematics situations in
primary school.
The pupils were asked to fill in a questionnaire about the experienced basic emotions
while learning mathematics. The pupils of Form 3 involved in the research marked
individually on Likert-type scale positive emotions (joy, interest, surprise) and
negative emotions (anger, disgust, fear, shame, fault, sorrow) experienced while
learning mathematics in primary school. When marking every basic emotion, the
pupils took into consideration Likert- type scale where 1 point corresponds to the
answer never experienced the given emotion, 3 points correspond to the answer
the emotion has often been experienced, but 5 points meant that the emotion has
always been experienced.
During the further survey the pupils individually reflected and pointed out at least 3
factors, stimuli, situations which evoked positive basic emotions at school as well as
pointed out at least 3 factors, stimuli, situations when they felt negative basic
emotions. The data obtained from questionnaires were specified in semi-structured
interview where the pupils supplemented the answers to the questions about the
factors evoking basic emotions. The peculiarity of this semi-structured interview was
that the questions previously were not formulated precisely, and also their succession
was not strictly determined, however, during the interview it was clarified to what
extent, on what conditions, in which situations the pupils experienced positive or
negative emotions while learning mathematics in primary school as well as specified
the factors evoking these emotions, their exposure according to the criteria set out for
the research. Each individual interview was about 15 minutes long, it was recorded,
transcribed and coded.
RESULTS
The data obtained according to Likert-type scale as a result of questionnaires by 107
pupils testify that during school time pupils experienced positive and negative basic
emotions at similar intensity. The situations when the pupils experienced or not
experienced distinct positive emotions during learning mathematics are not in
majority. In contrast, when evaluating basic negative emotions, the pupils indicate
that they did not feel disgust or were ashamed in math lessons (see Picture 1).
It is characteristic that the pupils often experienced such positive basic emotions as
joy and interest in maths lessons. In most cases, the pupils interest and joy were
aroused by the opportunity to use visual aids, play didactic games and the teachers
positive attitude in mathematics lessons. However, a positive evaluation of the given
tasks and activities in mathematics has been a precondition which aroused joy,
interest and surprise in pupils. In most cases, the pupils experienced such negative
basic emotions as fear, shame and sorrow in maths lessons. These negative emotions
caused the situations related to a pupils incompetence, failure in doing a certain

maths task as well as the cases when pupils encountered with a negative assessment
of their work and the comparison of their work with that of the other pupils.
60
50

No

40

Sometimes

Number of 30
respondents

Often
Very often

20

Always

10
0

Joy

Interest Surprise Anger

Fear

Shame

Fault

Sorrow Disgust

Picture 1: Pupils experienced basic emotions in mathematics lessons

The majority of pupils (86%) confirmed in semi-structured interview and

questionnaires that in mathematics lessons, it was interesting to work with small
countable material. Joy, interest and surprise in pupils were aroused by the
opportunity to do maths tasks with the help of sticks, fingers, coins and banknotes. As
a result of manipulation, the experienced positive emotions by pupils are related to
the opportunity to get acquainted with mathematics skills more successfully, solve
problems. Frequently, pupils mention varied didactic games with small countable
material as a factor which generates positive emotions. It is testified by pupils
comments on the same question:
Interviewer:
Pupil:
Interviewer:
Pupil:
Interviewer:
Pupil:

What is interesting in maths lessons?

For me... to count with sticks and money banknotes.
What surprises you in mathematics?
The teacher allowed me to count with fingers.
Count with fingers?
Yes, it is cool, I can count everything...but mum does not allow to do it at
home...

According to pupils (92%) answers a factor evoking positive basic emotions is

drawings, pictures in mathematics textbooks which attract pupils attention, as well as
facilitate the perception of the essence and conditions of the task. Pupils are happy
about the objects seen in the pictures of the tasks, their reinforcing function in
perception of the conditions and essence of the maths task. The pupils have interest in
the tasks which are visualized in textbooks with the help of pictures and drawings, for
example:
Interviewer:
Pupil:
Interviewer:
Pupil:
Interviewer:
Pupil:

What surprises you in maths lessons?

I have a colourful and beautiful maths textbook.
What is colourful and beautiful in it?
A lot of pictures, I like that.
What do you do with pictures?
I look at them, then I understand and...do correctly.

The teachers personality as a factor evoking emotions can initiate both basic positive
and negative emotions. The majority of pupils (44%) comment that positive basic
emotions have been evoked by a sensitive, creative teacher, who has a positive
attitude towards the pupil, interest in mathematics as a subject. The pupils
experienced positive basic emotions in such maths lessons which were exciting,
interesting, not boring. In these lessons, the pupils had joy about varied
organizational forms of the teaching process (group work, games, research,
manipulative activities), when the pupils were provided with the opportunity to be
active participants of the study process. The interest in pupils was aroused by the
explanation of theoretical concepts and the essence of maths skills with the help of
real objects, thus the study content to be obtained was explained visually, for
instance:
Interviewer:
Pupil:
Interviewer:
Pupil:

What is interesting in your maths lessons?

I have the best teacher; it is so cool to learn together with her, she shows
everything.
How does she show everything?
With money notes, drawings...we also play games...and she smiles all the
time, she does not yell.

In the cases, when pupils (36%) experienced negative basic emotions during school
years, the teacher of mathematics had not listened to pupils thoughts, had not
allowed them to be active participants of the study process, sometimes the teachers
working style had been authoritarian. Pupils experienced fear of the teachers
reaction about the incorrectly solved problem, anger about the teachers intolerant
attitude to the pupils incompetence and failure in maths lessons. Negative emotions
anger and disgust in pupils were also initiated by monotonous, uniform mathematics
lessons where pupils were passive performers of the teachers instructions. For
instance:
Pupil:
Interviewer:
Pupil:

I hate to go to the lesson, where it is boring and not interesting.

How is it boring?
Every day the same sit and do tasks.

Very often in questionnaires pupils (88%) mention their personal achievements and
success in mathematics lessons as a prerequisite initiating positive emotions when
each success allowed to experience positive emotions. Also, the recognition of the
achieved (69%) has often evoked positive emotions. Pupils experienced joy and
surprise if they could solve a maths task correctly and received a positive assessment
for their work according to each pupils individual contribution and growth. Joy was
also aroused by such situations where pupils were able to solve different problems of
higher difficulty level. Failures in most of the cases caused negative emotions in
pupils (74%). The pupils mistakes were not perceived as an opportunity to develop,
correct mistakes and master the skill. In maths lessons, pupils felt angry about the
inability to do a task or could not successfully solve the problems given to them in
maths test. Fear and shame are evoked in pupils in such situations when they are

made to demonstrate their inability in front of other pupils, for instance, when solving
a problem unsuccessfully at the blackboard. Pupils feel ashamed when they do not
understand a maths task, if it is compared to the positive achievement of other pupils
in mathematics. For instance:
Interviewer:
Pupil:
Interviewer:
Pupil:

What are you afraid of in maths lessons?

I am afraid to solve problems because I can solve them incorrectly.
Do you need to be afraid of that?
If there is a mistake, it will be bad... others will get to know.

When characterizing mathematics content, pupils in most of the cases mention the
acquisition of word problem (78%) and multiplication within the table (72%) as a
factor which evoked negative emotions while learning mathematics. In a
questionnaires and semi-structured interview pupils clarify the experienced negative
emotions as incomprehension about the necessary activities for doing the task, an
insufficient skill to read a word problem. Most of the pupils emphasize that negative
emotions anger, sorrow and fear while solving word problems were experienced also
because the word problems did not arouse their interest and did not have connection
with real life and the surrounding processes. When mastering multiplication within
the table, pupils name the main reason for having negative emotions shame and fault
i.e. learning multiplication table by heart without the comprehension about
relationships in the multiplication table:
Interviewer:
Pupil:
Interviewer:
Pupil:

What do you feel ashamed of?

That I have to memorize multiplication table.
Is it difficult to memorize?
I cannot remember so much by heart... I cannot count as fast as it is
necessary, I want to think a little...Multiplication is terrible, why must I
memorize it?

Pupils (73%) experienced positive emotions most often while mastering addition and
subtraction skills at school. Pupils point out that they willingly did arithmetic
operations, it was easy and understandable. The joy experienced by pupils is mainly
characterized as a qualitative application of maths skills during the solution of maths
problems, for instance:
Interviewer:
Pupil:

What are you most of all pleased in mathematics?

About numbers and their addition. It is terrific because I have to add
numbers and I can make it because I can do it easily.

Partly experienced negative emotions sorrow, anger are in the acquisition of the
following mathematics content: mastering fractions (64%), mathematical variables
and measures (57%), pupils consider boring such tasks where they mechanically have
to perform mathematical transformations and express relationships between variables
and measures, and it is not shown in which life situations and how these acquirable
skills could be applied.
CONCLUSION

The mathematics learning process needed to include and use that sort of positive
emotion-causing stimuli: the manipulation activities with objects, based on the
practical independent activity with diverse visual aids, rational work modes acquiring
by manipulation with objects; the purposeful system of exercising, where the pupils
clearly recognize the exercise aim, understand the execution of the exercise, the
exercises are arranged in a well-considered system, disseminated in time, the
exercises also include the revision of the mathematical skill and they are
miscellaneous; the use of the skills in diverse life-activity situations where the diverse
work forms, methods and approaches are applied, integration possibility into other
subjects, miscellaneous exercises according to their contents, forms (Helmane, 2010).
As a result of the research, it is possible to select the factors facilitating positive
emotions while teaching mathematics in primary school: curriculum which is easy for
a pupil to understand and perceive, which is encouraging, in good arrangement,
intensity and appropriate difficulty level; efficient techniques of work and visual aids
are used in the acquisition of skills; also the pupils activities are practical and
independent; diverse forms of work, methods, especially the method of play are used
in the acquisition of skills which encourage a pupils active participation and
mobilization of potential in order to achieve the desired objective; communication
with peers and the teacher; evaluation of a pupils progress and achievements by the
teacher, peers, also self-esteem.
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