Affective field during collaborative problem posing and problem solving: a case study

Educators in mathematics have long been concerned about students’ motivation, anxiety, and other affective characteristics. Typically, research into affect focuses on one theoretical construct (e.g., emotion, motivation, beliefs, or interest). However, we introduce the term affective field to account for a person’s various affective factors (emotions, attitudes, etc.) in their intraplay. In a case study, we use data from an extracurricular, inquiry-oriented collaborative problem posing and problem solving (PP&PS) program, which took place as a 1-year project with four upper secondary school students in Sweden (aged 16–18). We investigated the affective field of one student, Anna, in its social and dynamic nature. The question addressed in this context is: In what ways does an affective field of a student engaging in PP&PS evolve, and what may be explanations for this evolvement? Anna’s affective field was dynamic over the course of the program. Her initial anxiety during the PP&PS program was rooted in her prior affective field about mathematics activities, but group collaboration, the feeling of safety and appreciation, together with an increased interest in within-solution PP and openness for trying new things went hand in hand with positive dynamics in her affective field.