Complexity, uncertainty, failure, and emotion: Student experiences of an integrated STEM investigation

The aim of this project is to explore pre-service teacher (PST) emotional experiences of learning events involving complexity, uncertainty and/or failure, as perceived by PSTs, in the context of an integrated STEM investigation informed by entrepreneurial thinking. Entrepreneurial thinking is situated in the problem definition and validation phase that precedes the traditional investigation processes and provides a method for STEM investigators to engage with issues that are valued by others. The analysis of emotional experiences across learning events is informed by a model of emotional energy defined by Davis & Bellocchi (in press) and an ethnomethodological orientation previously applied in science education research (Davis & Bellocchi, 2018). This study seeks to address the question: How do PST’s experience learning events that unfold as they investigate authentic, wicked problems (cf. Rittel & Webber, 1973) and the generation of transdisciplinary solutions?

Reference:
Davis, J. P. & Bellocchi, A. (in press). Undramatic Emotions in Learning: A Sociological Model. In R. Patulny, S. Khorana, R. Olson, J. McKenzie, A. Bellocchi, M. Peterie, Interdisciplinary approaches to emotions: A conversation with Sociology (Vol 1, Chap 10). London: Routledge.
Davis, J. P., & Bellocchi, A. (2018). Objectivity, subjectivity, and emotion in school science inquiry. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. doi: 10.1002/tea.21461
Rittel, H. W. J., & Webber, M.M. (1973). Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences, 4, 155–169.