Affections in learning situations: a study of an entrepreneurship skills development course

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to present the results of a study whose general objective is to characterize the affective states experienced in response to different teaching activities used in a workshop for developing entrepreneurial skills. It seeks to answer the following question: how affections and experiential learning strategies interrelate in the development of entrepreneurial skills?

Design/methodology/approach – The study included 126 people enrolled in EMPRETEC, a nine-day course with a behavioral and experiential approach which aims to develop entrepreneurs' behavioral aspects. The affective states experienced by the participants were assessed on 13 moments during the workshop using the time-sampling method.

Findings – The results suggest that the structure of the course favored the predominance of affective states such as joy, excitement, pleasure, and pride (categorized as affective states indicating motivation). Activities similar to real situations (as opposed to fictitious ones) generate greater emotional impact. It was also found that indirect learning activities (less similar to real situations) and interactive (team) activities are associated with lower levels of anxiety.

Research limitations/implications – Being an exploratory study on a particular case, these results cannot be generalized, suggesting the need for further in-depth studies.

Practical implications – These results are an important guide for instructional planning in contemporary society that values the use of teaching methods that are experiential, collaborative, and encourage learner autonomy.

Originality/value – This paper offers to extend the discussion about emotions in the workplace and specifically their relationship to learning, a subject still little explored in recent literature.