#443: Exploring Emotional Language and Knowledge Building Practices in Middle School Mathematics Classrooms

This study investigates how emotional language interacts with knowledge building (KB) practices in a Taiwanese middle school mathematics classroom. Thirty seventh-grade students participated in a three-phase lesson design that integrated mathematical concepts (coordinate plane and linear equations) with emotional reflection. Data were collected from students’ reflections on a digital platform and analyzed through open and axial coding, Russell’s circumplex model of affect, and Epistemic Network Analysis (ENA). Results indicate that positive low-arousal emotions (e.g., calm, content) were the most prevalent, fostering a stable atmosphere for sustained KB discourse. “Improvable Ideas” emerged as the most central KB principle, frequently co-occurring with students’ emotional expressions. ENA revealed three dominant pathways linking emotions and KB principles: (1) positive low arousal with dialogue and collective responsibility, (2) negative high arousal with refinement and authoritative sources, and (3) positive high arousal with diversity and agency. Findings highlight the role of emotional language as a driver of knowledge advancement.