The Affective Domain: The role of emotions, attitudes, and motivation in teaching and learning 2012 CTE Summer Institute on Teaching and Learning

Emotion and Cognition are inextricably linked and perhaps never entirely separate, distinctive nor pure. ~William James The separation of the head from the heart has contributed to a fractured education system that produces minds that do not know how to feel and hearts that do not know how to think. ~Parker Palmer

I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess tremendous power to make a student’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a student humanized or de-humanized. ~Haim Ginott

–Language / Communication –Emotions –Homo Sapiens (wise man) –Sentient Beings (conscious) –Epistemology (scientific method) –Empathy –Reflexive Mind = Symbolic Interaction The symbolic world The symbolic self What makes us human?

Humans are defined by Symbolic Interaction –Language / Communication = Symbolic –Epistemology (meaning is emergent / contextual) –Associations / Appropriations / Attributions –Defining the Situation (schemas / mental models) The Reflexive Mind

Locus of our central nervous system –Mirror Neurons = Empathy –Symbols mediate our experience Thomas Theorem = Mind over Matter –Placebo effect –Self-fulfilling prophesies –Halo effect –Reification –Pygmalion in the classroom The Reflexive Mind

Significance of the Affective Domain A strong relationship between affect and memory – evolution? A strong relationship between affect and student engagement = motivation, confidence A strong relationship between affect high impact activities = deep / significant learning A strong relationship between affect and self identity = self-esteem

What is the Affective Domain? Motivations Moods Feelings Emotions Attitudes Beliefs / Values

Yerkes / Dodson Law

What is the Affective Domain? Motivations Moods Feelings Emotions Attitudes Beliefs / Values  Choice / Power  Communication Syllabus 1 st day of class  Relevance / Need / Value  Enthusiasm  Priming  Humor  Group activities (T/P/S)  Community  Competition

What is the Affective Domain? Motivations Moods Feelings Emotions Attitudes Beliefs / Values  Compelling examples  “Real” examples  Emotional contagion  Re-Define situations  Small group activities  Role playing  Group processing  Reflection papers  Learning log

What is the Affective Domain? Motivations Moods Feelings Emotions Attitudes Beliefs / Values  High Impact activities The first day of class Learning Communities Service Learning PBL / TBL Under Grad. Research Internships/Externships Study Abroad

What is the Affective Field? The space around people and their environment. –Lighting –Color –Architecture –Climate –Configuration –Sound

What is the Affective Field? The space between the people engaged in an interaction –Safety –Trust –Respect –Power –Communication  Show Compassion / Empathy  Be Authentic (be yourself)  Be Non-Judgmental  Be Personable (get to know them; vice versa)  Be strict, but fair  Attend to nonverbals  Extend the benefit of the doubt

Implications for course / curriculum design Communication -verbal, written and body High impact activities Small group work / learning communities Service learning Self – assessment  (reflection papers, learning logs, etc.) Group processing Capstone courses / learning portfolios

Additional Tips Share your Teaching Philosophy Tell stories - embellish Provide guidelines / rationale Frequency reduces awkwardness Incremental / escalating success builds confidence Make relevant to life and career

Additional Resources Teaching and Learning in Affective Domain Affective_Domain Affective_Domain Learning and Affective Behaviors Affective Domain and Learning Objectives tional%20Objective%20Verbs%20--%20Affective%20Domain.pdf tional%20Objective%20Verbs%20--%20Affective%20Domain.pdf Bloom’s 3 learning Domains The Role of Emotion in Memory