This study examined affect during high school students' face‐to‐face
collaborative inquiry learning in science, supported by the web‐based
software Virtual Baltic Sea Explorer. Self‐reported affective states
during the inquiry process in peer groups were related to evaluations of
a group's collaboration and performance in three phases of
interdisciplinary science inquiry (biology and chemistry). Results
indicate that despite high cognitive demands, positive affect prevailed
whereas negative affect was infrequent. Structural equation modelling
was used to analyse the significance of affect on collaboration and
group performance. The relationship between affect, collaboration, and
the groups' productive outcome revealed that self‐assurance had a
significant effect on collaboration and support, intertwined with
scientific understanding and group performance. Furthermore, a
cross‐lagged analysis showed a reciprocal relation between positive
affect, scientific understanding, collaboration, and support. These
outcomes contribute to the scarce literature on the nature and
importance of affect in the process of face‐to‐face computer‐supported
collaborative inquiry and learning in science.