Outspoken emotions – Emotion regulation during emotional challenges in collaborative learning

This study examines emotion regulation during emotional challenges in mathematics group tasks among teacher education students (N = 62). The data consisted of 87 hours of videotaped group interaction and students’ pre- and post-evaluations of their group experiences. The results show that emotional challenges and regulation varied across groups and tasks. Pre-evaluations were associated with the level of regulation, whereas post-evaluations were associated with the level of challenge but not with regulation. Qualitative case analyses further illustrate group-specific challenges and regulation strategies, including task structuring, awareness raising, encouragement, and social reinforcement. The findings indicate that regulation strategies did not always align with the challenges faced, leading to recurring difficulties within groups. These results have implications for the design and support of collaborative learning: beyond helping students stay on task, groups may benefit from increased awareness of the nature of their challenges and sufficient time to address them through negotiated interaction.