Mathematics emotion profiles: stability and change during Grades 7 and 8

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Academic emotions are complex and can coexist.
• Understanding student emotion profiles is crucial for tailored educational strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct mathematics emotion profiles in lower-secondary students.
• To examine the stability and transitions of these profiles across two academic years.
• To investigate the impact of an intervention on these emotion profile dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Latent profile analysis (LPA) and random intercept latent transition analysis (RI-LTA) were employed.
• Data were collected from 348 students in the lowest-ability mathematics tier.
• Emotion profiles and transition probabilities between profiles were assessed.

Main Results:

• Three mathematics emotion profiles were identified: mixed, rather positive, and predominantly positive.
• These profiles demonstrated high stability across Grades 7 and 8.
• Gender and mathematics achievement predicted profile membership, and the intervention influenced profile transitions.

Conclusions:

• Distinct, stable mathematics emotion profiles exist in lower-secondary students.
• Student characteristics and educational interventions play a role in shaping these emotional experiences.
• Further research can leverage these findings for targeted academic support.