The ordinary yet extraordinary emotions and motives of pre-service mathematics teachers

Radu, Oana (2011) The ordinary yet extraordinary emotions and motives of pre-service mathematics teachers. Doctoral (PhD) thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

This doctoral research is an account of the emotional experiences encountered by interns while teaching mathematics in the socio-cultural context of the junior and senior high school classrooms. Also, it describes similarities and differences existing between the emotional experiences of interns with different goal orientations. What kind of emotional experiences do interns encounter wile teaching mathematics? What similarities and differences exist between the emotional experiences of interns with different goal orientations? -- Basic qualitative research and case study research approaches were used to examine the complex relations between interns’ emotions, goals, and actions. Data were collected using interviews, surveys, diaries, and classroom observations, as these generate in depth descriptions of interns’ emotional experiences encountered while teaching mathematics, as well as attributed causes, thoughts, and perceived effects. -- The case study portrayed the internship as a place where a mastery oriented intern can experience both pleasant and unpleasant emotions. It showed that unpleasant and pleasant emotions were experienced sporadically at the beginning of the internship. The case study revealed how unpleasant emotions and to use them to perfect teaching practices. -- Mastery oriented and performance approach interns presented similarities in attributed causes of pleasant emotions, such as: students understand math, do their homework, or are engaged in classroom activities. However, for mastery oriented interns, pleasant emotions relate to students’ understanding, while for performance approach interns, pleasant emotions related to their increased desire to appear talented at teaching. Performance avoidance interns attribute causes of pleasant emotions to getting positive feedback from supervisors and students, or to not encountering significant classroom disruptions. -- Thoughts appearing in conjunction with unpleasant emotions show performance approach interns’ affinity to attribute the causes to students’ inappropriate behaviour or lack of attention. While experiencing unpleasant emotions, performance avoidance interns’ thoughts run towards their inability to control the class, to questioning their choice of a career, and to thinking about avoiding and even leaving the teaching profession.

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