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Influence of Emotions on Attitude, Belief, and Conceptual Change

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Influence of Emotions on Attitude, Belief, and Conceptual Change Emotions, Attitudes, and Conceptual Change, p. 1 “Pluto Has Been a Planet My Whole Life!” Emotions, Attitudes, and Conceptual Change in Elementary Students‟ Learning about Pluto‟s Reclassification Suzanne H. Broughton, Utah State University Gale M. Sinatra, University of Nevada, Las Vegas E. Michael Nussbaum, University of Nevada Las Vegas Corresponding Author: Suzanne H. Broughton 2805 Old Main Hill Logan, UT 84322-2805 P: (435) 797-1568 Email: [email protected] Emotions, Attitudes, and Conceptual Change, p. 2 “Pluto Has Been a Planet My Whole Life!” Emotions, Attitudes, and Conceptual Change in Elementary Students‟ Learning about Pluto‟s Reclassification Emotions, Attitudes, and Conceptual Change, p. 3 Abstract Learning about certain scientific topics has potential to spark strong emotions among students. We investigated whether emotions predicted students‟ attitudes after engaging in independent rereading and/or rereading plus discussion about Pluto‟s reclassification. Fifth and sixth grade students read a refutation text on Pluto‟s reclassification. Participants were randomly assigned to either the reread independently or the reread plus discussion group. Results showed that students in both groups experienced attitude change and that change was sustained over time. Students reported experiencing more negative than positive emotions at pretest. Emotions, which became more positive after intervention, were predictive of students‟ attitudes and attitude change. Implications for the role of emotions when learning about controversial topics are discussed. Key words: emotions, attitudes, refutation text, elementary science learning, small group discussions Emotions, Attitudes, and Conceptual Change, p. 4 On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) General Assembly passed a resolution that changed the definition of “planet.” The IAU agreed that “a planet is defined as a celestial body that is (a) in orbit around the Sun, (B) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces that that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit” (IAU, 2006). As a result, scientists now explain that the Solar System consists of eight planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Earth, Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, and Neptune. Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. All members of the IAU did not support this resolution. Indeed, according to Newsweek (2006) this decision has spawned an emotionally charged debate among members of the IAU and others who believe this decision was a mistake . (Vignette written by Broughton, 2008) It is often the case that issues in science trigger highly emotional responses. Global warming, stem cell research, and genetically altered food could each be considered “hot” topics in science. Even the change in the definition of the term planet and the subsequent change in Pluto‟s status as a planet sparked a highly emotional debate among astronomers, scientists, and many individuals in the public at large (Brown, 2010; Tyson, 2009). News reports described a general sense of disagreement with the reclassification of Pluto among many scientists, astronomers, and individuals in the general public (see National Geographic News, 2006). Hundreds of second and third grade students sent emails to the American Museum of Natural History in New York in protest of the demotion (Tyson, 2009). Further, resistance towards Pluto‟s reclassification was evidenced among some lawmakers in the United States. The New Mexico state legislature felt the demotion of Pluto was unjustified and consequently passed a bill in March 2007 declaring Pluto to be recognized a planet within the state boundaries (Tyson, 2009). Indeed, a professor of planetary science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who helped construct the new definition of planet explains, “The word „planet‟ and the idea of planets can be emotional because they‟re something we learn as children” (Adler, 2006). Emotions, Attitudes, and Conceptual Change, p. 5 In similar ways learning about certain scientific topics in school has the potential to spark strong emotions among students. This may especially be the case when students learn that scientists have changed an explanation of a phenomenon or a definition of an object or event that is familiar to them. Learning about familiar topics in science involves a complex system encompassing students‟ attitudes and knowledge of the phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between emotions and the possible change in elementary students‟ attitudes and conceptions about Pluto‟s reclassification. In addition, our aim was to investigate whether an intervention designed to enhance engagement would promote attitude and conceptual change about a controversial science topic. One such intervention, refutation text, has been shown to be an effective tool for promoting conceptual change (Guzzetti, Snyder, Glass, & Gamas, 1993). In the following sections we review the research on academic emotions, attitude change, and conceptual change as it relates to the goals and purposes of our study. We then review research on refutation text and discussion. Academic Emotions Over the past several decades researchers in social psychology have been investigating the influences of affect, including moods and emotions, on cognitive processing (Bless, 2000; Lazarus, 1984; Rosenberg, 1998; Zajonc 1980). Specifically, emotions are “brief, psychophysiological changes that result from a response to a meaningful situation in one‟s environment” (Rosenberg, 1998, p. 250) and typically happen in response to a specific person or event (Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2004). Emotional responses are quick, automatic, and can occur unconsciously (Rosenberg, 1998) and are powerful influences on how we think and interpret events (Kagan, 2007; Lazarus, 1984). Emotions, Attitudes, and Conceptual Change, p. 6 Past research examining emotions in academic settings has primarily focused on test anxiety (Goetz, Frenzel, Hall & Pekrun, 2008; Linnenbrink, 2006; Pekrun, Goetz, Titz, & Perry, 2002). However, cognitive and educational researchers have begun to investigate a broader spectrum of emotions in learning contexts. For example, Pekrun and colleagues (2002a; 2002b) have investigated positive and negative emotions and the various influences these emotions exert on academic outcomes. The work by Pekrun and colleagues has focused on emotions at general classroom levels, thus providing a useful perspective for the current study. Emotions that relate specifically to academic learning and classroom instruction have been defined as academic emotions (Pekrun et al., 2002a; 2002b). This category of emotions focuses on students‟ emotions in relation to studying, test taking, and attending class. In contrast to Pekrun‟s research on emotions at the classroom level our interest is in examining topic emotions, those emotions related to a specific topic within a classroom. It may be that a student enjoys learning about science and attending science class; however, they may experience frustration or anger when asked to learn the scientific viewpoint of evolutionary biology. Pekrun et al. (2002a) describe a two-dimensional model of academic emotions that includes valence (positive/negative) and activation (activating/deactivating). In this study we focused on the valance as that was our interest. Positive emotions include enjoyment, pride, and hope, whereas negative emotions include anxiety, anger, shame, boredom, and hopelessness. It is hypothesized that positive emotions increase motivation, critical thinking, elaboration, and metacognitive strategy use (Pekrun et al., 2002a; 2007). Additionally, positive emotions can facilitate creative thinking and enhance deeper levels of cognitive processing, thereby facilitating problem solving, even when the information is negative (Pekrun et al., 2002b). Individuals experiencing positive emotions may initially use less complex processing Emotions, Attitudes, and Conceptual Change, p. 7 strategies until they notice a discrepancy between their prior knowledge and the new information (Bless, 2000). Once the discrepancy is noticed the individual is likely to engage in deeper level processing of the conflicting information. It is possible that an individual who experiences positive emotional responses to anomalous information may be willing to give thoughtful consideration of that information even when it conflicts with their prior knowledge (Linnenbrink, 2002). For example, if a student enjoys learning about the solar system she may be willing to thoughtfully weigh the scientists‟ rationale for reclassifying Pluto to a dwarf planet. In contrast, negative emotions are commonly associated with lower levels of academic achievement than positive emotions. Negative emotions diminish motivation, directing attention away from the task, resulting in superficial cognitive processing (Goetz, Frenzel, Pekrun, Hall, 2006; Pekrun, 2002a). Negative emotions, such as fear and anger, may lead to the individual perceiving the anomalous information as a threat and thus resist change (Linnenbrink & Pintrich, 2002). Under this view negative emotions may hinder conceptual change. It may be that if a student is angry about Pluto‟s reclassification they will resist considering the scientists‟ rationale, which in turn may decrease the likelihood of conceptual change. Few empirical studies have investigated the effect of emotions on attitude change and conceptual
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