Abstract

COCA SANTILLANA, Alejandro  and  MIRANDA, Isaias. Change of attitude toward mathematics learning: The case of Frida. Educ. mat. [online]. 2019, vol.31, n.2, pp.241-270.  Epub June 15, 2020. ISSN 2448-8089.  https://doi.org/10.24844/em3102.10.

The aim of this research is to analyze the change in attitude (from negative to positive) to the learning of mathematics experienced by Frida, a high school student. The analysis was based on the theoretical framework of the cognitive structure of emotions. It states that emotions are caused by the person’s interpretation of the consequences for their goals, norms and attitudes of events, other people’s actions and their relationship to objects, respectively. The change in attitude was analyzed by means of the report of Frida’s emotional experiences throughout a school year, in which she attended two math courses and one-on-one counseling classes. The results indicate that the change in attitude began when her reactions were not in the sense suggested by the theory for emotions of the same valence (based on goals, norms and attitudes), but in the opposite sense. That is, Frida, during the counseling courses, began to destructure a negative attitude toward learning mathematics due to new evaluations of agents and events based on her personal norms and goals. The paper ends with some recommendations for teaching.

Keywords : emotional experiences; attitude change; case study; cognitive structure of emotions.