“Powered by emotions”: Exploring emotion induction in out‐of‐school authentic science learning

Abstract

This study explored the impact of authentic out‐of‐school learning on students' beliefs about their science learning efficacy and career aspirations. The learning activity, designed following an authentic learning framework, was led by research scientists. We examined how students' emotions, induced in an authentic scientific activity, mediated the connection between the perceived authenticity and the self‐efficacy/aspiration beliefs. Data were gathered from 177 secondary science students participating in an out‐of‐school activity using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Three questionnaires were applied: (1) Perceived authenticity (Post, 7 items, Likert scale); (2) Semantic differential emotion questionnaire (SDEQ) (Pre‐Post, 5 items); and (3) Beliefs questionnaire in two parts: Self‐efficacy and science aspirations (pre‐post, 7 + 5 items, Likert scale). The collected data were integrated into quantitative models of affect with authenticity as an independent variable, the differences in the pre‐post belief structures as the dependent variable, and the emotions as mediators. Multiple regression analyses were performed to develop the models by evaluating the size and significance of the relationships between the variables. The results indicated the perceived authenticity significantly predicted both self‐efficacy and the career aspiration pre‐post differences. However, emotions behaved as a mediating variable only for self‐efficacy growth. An additional model evaluated the connection between students' emotions learning science in school and their experience of authenticity and emotions in the out‐of‐school activity. The study contributes to the literature by revealing underlying affective mechanisms related to out‐of‐school authentic science activities and suggesting theoretical and empirical justifications.