Confused, now what? A Cognitive-Emotional Strategy Training (CEST) intervention for elementary students during mathematics problem solving

Abstract

We developed a cognitive-emotional strategy training (CEST) intervention to teach fifth-grade students (N = 57) self-regulated learning strategies that can be used when confusion is experienced during mathematics problem solving in addition to strategies they can implement during learning to help solve them. Fifth-grade students were randomly assigned to the intervention condition or the control condition. A think-emote-aloud protocol was administered to capture self-regulatory processes and emotions as students solved a complex mathematics problem. Using an explanatory mixed methods design, results revealed that, compared to students in the control condition, students who received the intervention scored significantly higher on the mathematics problem, implemented more cognitive and metacognitive learning strategies across the four phases of self-regulated learning, expressed more positive emotions and fewer negative emotions, and were better able to regulate and resolve their confusion when it occurred. These results extend previous findings from the strategy instruction literature by incorporating consideration of the role of emotions during learning.