Adolescence involves heightened emotions that flow through classrooms and influence learning and social connections. Emotion regulation is the ability to recognize, understand, and adjust emotional responses, including awareness, clarity, acceptance, impulse control, and access to strategies. Difficulties in these areas relate to lower behavioral engagement (effort, attention, persistence) and lower emotional engagement (interest, enthusiasm, investment) in learning. Non-acceptance of emotional responses, such as feeling ashamed, is especially linked to weaker peer and teacher relationships. Strong emotional engagement can enhance regulation skills and create positive cycles that support learning and social functioning.
Emotion regulation refers to the ability to manage and modify emotional responses. It is a multilayered process that involves recognizing, understanding, and adjusting emotional experiences. For example, a student who feels anxious about an upcoming test might use strategies like problem-solving to stay focused instead of panicking or withdrawing. This skill is particularly important in adolescence, a period marked by academic pressure, changing social dynamics, and growing independence.
The study surveyed 136 secondary school students aged 13-18 (about 60 percent female), assessing: Emotion regulation difficulties: These included challenges in emotional awareness (attention to emotions), emotional clarity (understanding and labeling emotions), non-acceptance of emotional responses (feeling ashamed or guilty for emotional responses), impulse control (controlling behavior during intense emotions), and limited access to effective strategies for regulation. Student engagement: This included behavioral engagement (effort, attention, and persistence in learning tasks) and emotional engagement (interest, enthusiasm, and emotional investment in learning).
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