Mathematical challenges and the positive emotions they engender

Abstract

Studies in mathematics education have shown interactions between a variety of emotions and the quality of learning. Research has found that positive emotions are among the main factors that engender a sense of well-being. In the current study, we focused on emotions that may be aroused while coping with mathematical challenges, and sought to evaluate their intensity and frequency in that context. The research was conducted among a unique group: competitors of the Israel International Math Competition for Girls (IIMCG), a competition involving problem solving in mathematical thinking, which targets female high school students. The participants were 403 of the competitors (304 Israeli, 99 American) who had reached the second round of the competition. The research instrument was a Math Emotions Measuring Instrument, which assesses positive and negative emotions expressed while coping with mathematical challenges. Results emphasized the numerical prominence of positive as opposed to negative emotions that were reported by participants. The ratio of positive to negative emotions (i.e., the positivity ratio) was high – 4.2:1. In addition, a statistically significant cultural difference was found between the participants from Israel and those from the USA in terms of the intensity of 10 out of 28 emotions experienced. Our findings shed new light on the connection between mathematics and emotions and prove the importance of generating strategies to enhance a positive climate in teaching and learning mathematics.