engleski

Does confusion predict greater engagement in learning physics?

Epistemic emotions are one of four categories of academic emotions, which have object focus on knowledge and generation of knowledge. In this research we were specifically interested in epistemic confusion, which can be described as a notable lack of understanding and signals that a student is confronted with impasses in learning, which leads to cognitive disequilibrium. To resolve the impasse and restore the cognitive equilibrium, students need to engage in effortful problem-solving activities. If students do not manage to resolve the impasse and get stuck in solving the problem, they will experience frustration which may transition to boredom and quitting from further learning process. In this study we wanted to test this assumption, specifically among elementary school students. The aim of the study was to examine the role of epistemic confusion in predicting engagement in learning physics. A convenience sample of 545 students from elementary schools from Zagreb, Croatia, participated in the study. Students filled out the questionnaires about epistemic emotions and engagement in learning physics. The results showed that confusion was a negative predictor of cognitive, behavioral, and emotional engagement in learning physics. This may lead to conclusion that elementary school students do not necessarily have adequate skills to successfully regulate confusion in order to benefit from the experience of confusion while studying, as it may benefit older students.

Educational Psychology, Emotion and Affect, Motivation and Emotion, Primary Education

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