Children with difficulties in learning: Academic emotions and motivation in performance contexts

Dimitropoulou, P (Panagiota)¹, Filippatou, D (Diamanto)², Matsouka, K (Kassiani)^3
1University of Crete, Department of Psychology, Psychology Department Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Crete, 74100, Rethymno
²Department of Primary Education, University of Thessaly, Argonafton & Filellinon, 38221, Volos, Greece
³Department of Special Education, University of Thessaly, Argonafton & Filellinon, 38221, Volos, Greece

 

Submission type

Poster only

Scheduled

Hallway, 22-07-2016, 16:00 - 17:00

Keywords

Academic Emotions, Motivation, Learning Difficulties, Performance

Summary

The interplay of academic emotions and motivation on learning and performance has been pointed out and several studies have examined their impact on mainstream students’ achievement. A comprehensive framework illustrating paths to promote emotion regulation is Pekrun's Control-Value Theory of Achievement Emotions (2000, 2006) that focuses on how to cultivate learners’ positive emotions so as to facilitate educational experiences and promote students’ motivation. The above are of critical importance regarding students that struggle in terms of achievement performance. In this context, the purpose of the current research is to examine the academic emotions and motivation of children with exceptionalities and learning problems. The sample consisted of 120 students attending primary and secondary schools with an official diagnosis of having specific learning difficulties or/and ADHD. For collecting the data, self-report questionnaires were administered regarding academic emotions and motivation in reading comprehension and writing skills such as Motivation for Reading Questionnaire, Achievement Emotions– Questionnaire for Pre-Adolescence etc. The results of data analysis through regression models underscore the role of negative emotions in motivation in learning and outline their impact on performance tasks. The need for optimizing academic emotions and motivation for struggling students so as to facilitate cognition will be discussed.  

Auteurs