Chapter 7 - The Role of Affect in Student Learning: A Multi-Dimensional Approach to Considering the Interaction of Affect, Motivation, and Engagement

Abstract

This chapter highlights the theoretical models of affect in students' learning. Circumplex models of affect differ from other current perspectives on affect in education. For instance, the control-value theory of emotions in education focuses specifically on emotions and does not consider more general mood states. In addition, rather than differentiating emotional states based on valence and activation, it categorizes emotions based on appraisal processes and highlights the dimensions of object focus and valence. Other research on students' affect in educational settings focuses on specific affective states, such as test anxiety, interest as an affective state, and shame rather than general models of affect. In contrast to these other approaches, the circumplex model presents a more comprehensive model that can be used to integrate a variety of affective states, including moods and emotions, in educational settings. Using a circumplex model of affect integrates research on achievement goal theory, affective states, and school engagement.