What Triggers Emotional Shifts in Learning? A Control-Value Theory Analysis of Task, Peer, and Environmental Antecedents

Abstract

Understanding how students transition between emotional states during learning is crucial for enhancing engagement and improving outcomes. Previous research has looked into learning-centered emotions such as engagement, frustration, and delight. However, the reasons behind emotional changes are often analyzed without a solid theory or through fragmented, makeshift models. We address this gap using a well-established framework: Pekrun’s Control-Value Theory (CVT). This theory posits that achievement emotions stem from students’ assessments of their control over a learning activity and the subjective value they place on it. We argue that factors related to tasks, peers, and the learning environment are not competing explanations but rather antecedents that indirectly influence emotions by affecting perceived control and value. We evaluated this theory on 496 carefully annotated emotional instances from 21 middle school students in a game-based learning environment. Our findings indicate that task-related antecedents are the primary triggers of emotional change, accounting for 71.3% of the cases, while peer and environmental factors play significant but secondary roles. Statistical tests, including chi-square and t-tests, confirm that these antecedent categories differ significantly in both the emotions they evoke and their durations. The results suggest that a single appraisal-based theory effectively explains a wide variety of emotional transitions. Additionally, adaptive learning systems should focus on enhancing the control and value assessments through which task, peer, and environmental conditions operate.