Emotions and Learning Theory Review

 Peggy Dessing

 

Theory Review: Emotions and Motives in Learning

 

Your name	Commented On
Peggy Dessing	Vicki Cooper

 

Interpersonal and intrapersonal are two of the seven intelligence's that formed the basis of Gardner’s theory. Interpersonal is the capability to discern and respond appropriately to moods, temperaments, motivations and desires of other people, where intrapersonal is being able to access one’s own feelings and the ability to discriminate among them; to have the knowledge of one’s own strengths, weaknesses, desires and intelligence's (MacKeracher, 2010).

Main Theoretical Points

Goleman discusses that emotional intelligence is a meta-ability that determines how well we use the skill sets we have. There are five components of emotional intelligence that were discussed in the text, which include, knowing one’s own emotions, managing one’s emotions, motivating oneself, recognizing emotion in others and handling relationships through managing emotions and moods in others (MacKeracher, 2010).

The first theory talks about knowing your own emotions by being able to self-evaluate and recognize situations as they are occurring. Being able to have and manage both positive and negative feelings are a big part of this. Emotional cognitive development plays a huge role in learning and development. If people are anxious, nervous, fearful, or uncomfortable, they do not learn. Negative emotions can hinder the future of a learner (Shuck, 2013). Students who may have experiences negative emotional moments, may avoid certain behaviors or tasks when asked to try something new or learn something new in the classroom or a learning setting, seeing another’s viewpoint or working with others in the class. These emotions can affect the individual’s self-esteem which in turn affects the behaviors of learners. If you are able to know your emotions and the ways to handle those emotions, it will help not only in learning situations, but in work, personal or social situations. Emotions change when people grow to be able to change and develop. Knowing your emotions and being able to recognize when a situation occurs and how you will respond is progress and development as an individual.

Managing emotions is the second part of the theory that we will be reviewing. Most managers, trainers, instructors, and others in similar positions need to have self-awareness about their skills, expertise, and performance in their positions (Afzalur, 2002). One of the ways this can be accomplished is by self-assessing daily tasks for themselves and their employees, students, etc. Having limitations in your field can cause people to make mistakes and limit themselves from recognizing how to avoid those same mistakes in the future. Emotional intelligence is a social skill that involves the ability to be aware, understand, manage, and use emotions in interpersonal relations with family, friends, partners and colleagues (Cherry, 2022). Developing strategies for learning and adapting are essential. Some students can use their emotion to determine what they are interested in and what they want to learn. Managing emotions is a life-long skill that gets easier to manage with time and experiences.

Motivating oneself and harnessing emotions is the third part of this theory. Being self-aware is understanding your emotions as they happen. Emotions should be thought of as appropriate or inappropriate instead of positive or negative. Feelings and emotions that have been effectively self-assessed will help to improve your confidence and self-esteem. Self-motivations is the drive within yourself to improve on or achieving things you never thought you would (Cherry, 2022). Being committed to your goals, personal and professional, being ready to act on opportunities that you come across, being hopeful and confident about your future but also being able to get up and keep on going when you get knocked down or something doesn’t go the way that you thought it might. Another way to keep your motivation is to not make unreasonable demands on yourself. Having the ability to say no when it feels like others may be too demanding is a huge step in staying motivated.

The fourth part of the theory focuses on recognizing emotions in others. Empathy is being aware of others needs and feelings both individually and in groups and being able to see things from others viewpoints.  Empathy can help to develop a better understanding of other people situations. This includes understanding others, helping others to develop, leveraging diversity by being an inclusive leader, manager or instructor who is also able to maximize the talents of each employee, student, or just any person (Empathy and Emotional Intelligence: What Is It Really About? - Simple Words of Sympathy, n.d.). When instructors or employers have empathy, it can make employees or students feel more connected to or comfortable with them. It makes them more approachable and easier to talk to about problems, concerns, or even positive things that may be or have happened that they are proud of. When employees or students feel like they are in a safe environment and being understood, their work or their learning capabilities are drastically increased.

The last part of the theory is about handling relationships with others, also known as social skills. Social skills can encompass a wide range of relationship and interpersonal skills (Social Skills in Emotional Intelligence | SkillsYouNeed, 2011). These types of skills can range from leadership to influence and persuading others, managing conflict, and working in/on a team. Most social skills are developed from self-esteem and confidence in yourself. You can be a real asset to others by being able to listen, be approachable and easy to talk to, share information, stories, and experiences with others so they are more apt to trust you. By doing these things, you become more approachable, appealing, and inviting to others. This really goes hand in hand with what was discussed in the fourth theory, recognizing emotions in others. By having the skill set needed to work with and teach others, you become a better boss, employer, or instructor. Each individual has different ways of handling emotions and being able to determine and see those differences makes you a better employer, or instructor.

 Application

 No matter what setting you are in, whether it is an academic or professional setting, emotions are present, and instructors, professionals and individuals need to be able to know the different steps in regard to emotions in learning and the workplace. We discussed important points that are lifelong skills that will be used every day in different settings. Being a good instructor or manager involves being able to know your emotions and where you stand. You need to be able to recognize how you might react in different settings or situations. The next step is to be able to mange those emotions you may be feeling or experiencing. By being able to manage your emotions, it can help students or employees feel more at ease with how you reacted or handled a specific situation. This helps them to trust you and be able to approach you in a specific manner. I personally think that one of the best assets an employer or instructor can have is empathy. There are so many things that are going on in peoples lives, that its so hard to just leave it all at the door. Empathy can either make or break a person. In my opinion, it could be the determining factor on whether someone succeeds or fails.

  Highlights

            I really think that this assignment taught me more about the different steps involved in emotional learning and how people can gain the skills to process emotion in educational and professional settings. It really helps you think about the process from start to finish and how all of these theories really do affect people in their everyday lives.

Process

             I first looked to see the main points in emotions in learning. After I researched and determined the main theoretical points in emotional learning, I researched the different aspects of those theories and how they went together to work as a whole process. 

     I think the main lesson that I learned by completing this assignment was that in emotions are a huge part of our lives, how we process things, how we get through life and based on each person’s emotions, how these emotions can affect our learning, employment, families, friends and our day-to-day lives.

 

Table 1. Summary of the theoretical ideas

Main Theoretical Ideas	How to Apply the Idea
Knowing one’s own emotions	By being aware of your own emotions, you are able to work through the different steps to understand why you are feeling a certain way and finding a better way to respond to those emotions.
Managing emotions	By managing your emotions, you need to have self-control, be trustworthy, conscientious, able to adapt to certain situations that may arise, and be innovative by trying new things or thinking outside the box.
Motivating oneself	Having the confidence and personal drive to achieve new or different thing and to be ready when you encounter new opportunities. Don’t overdo and wear yourself down but be able to say “no” when unreasonable demands are being made.
Recognizing emotions in others	This is known to many people as having empathy or being able to understand others by reading body language and facial expressions. It could also include having a good perception of the people you are around as well as your surroundings. All of these things can affect how and if a person learns.
Handling Relationships	Having the social skills to be able to work with others. This can be done by earning trust from peers by being a good listener and being approachable and easy to talk to. Some people just need that someone they can talk to about certain things in their lives.

   References

Afzalur Rahim, M., Psenicka, C., Polychroniou, P., Zhao, J., Yu, C., Anita Chan, K., Wai Yee Susana, K., Alves, M. G., Lee, C., Ralunan, S., Ferdausy, S., & van Wyk, R. (2002). A MODEL OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES: A STUDY IN SEVEN COUNTRIES. The International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 10(4), 302–326. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb028955

Cherry, K. (2022, August 3). Overview of emotional intelligence. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-emotional-intelligence-2795423

Elmi, C. (2020). Integrating social emotional learning strategies in higher education. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 10, 848-858. https://doi.org/10.3390/ejihpe10030061

Empathy and emotional intelligence: What is it really about? - Simple words of sympathy. (n.d.). 5y1.org. https://5y1.org/info/simple-words-of-sympathy_3_4ea19e.html

MacKeracher, D. (2010). Making sense of adult learning. University of Toronto Press.

Shuck, B., Albornoz, C., & Winberg, M. (2013). Emotions and Their Effect on Adult Learning: A Constructivist Perspective Brad Shuck, Carlos Albornoz, and Marina Winberg. Retrieved October 1, 2022, from https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Emotions-and-Their-Effect-on-Adult-Learning%3A-A-Shuck-Albornoz/4b489f40a9895ab20e1c05eeebfe9e269dc7c307. 

Social Skills in Emotional Intelligence | SkillsYouNeed. (2011). Skillsyouneed.com. https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/social-skills-emotional-intelligence.html