A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Students' Emotional Responses to Mistakes: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study in University Chemistry Laboratory
Authors: Kyynäräinen, Reetta; Vilhunen, Elisa; Li, Pei-Hsin; Laakso, Mikko-Jussi; Vesterinen, Veli-Matti
Publisher: Wiley
Publication year: 2026
Journal: Science Education
ISSN: 0036-8326
eISSN: 1098-237X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.70079
Publication's open availability at the time of reporting: No Open Access
Publication channel's open availability : Partially Open Access publication channel
Web address : https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sce.70079
This study explores students' emotions in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory, focusing particularly on emotional responses to making mistakes. Using an ecological momentary assessment design, we collected on-task data from 240 students and 1635 learning situations during the laboratory sessions. A multilevel structural equation modeling framework, including a model with random slopes, was used to examine how situational factors (i.e., type of mistake and support in solving the mistake) and individual factor (i.e., gender, performance level, and subjective task values) affected students' emotional responses. Our findings suggest that mistakes typically trigger negative activating emotions in students. Individual factors also influenced emotional responses—well-performing students were less prone to elevated anxiety and frustration, remaining more relaxed in mistake situations, whereas students with high perceived emotional costs of laboratory activities experienced a more intense increase in anxiety in mistake situations. The type of mistake played an important role: careless mistakes were associated with more positive emotions, whereas students experienced increased anxiety and frustration and decreased positive emotions when the mistake stemmed from skill or knowledge gaps. The form of support also mattered: teacher support was linked to intensified anxiety and frustration in students, while peer support showed no statistically significant impacts on emotional levels. To foster meaningful learning, targeted support in emotional regulation should be provided for lower-performing students and those with high perceived emotional costs in mistake situations, particularly when mistakes stem from a lack of skill or knowledge.
Funding information in the publication:
This study is funded by the Research Council of Finland (EDUCA Flagship #358924, #358947) and the Ministry of Education and Culture (Doctoral school pilot #VN/3137/2024-OKM-4). Open access publishing facilitated by Turun yliopisto, as part of the Wiley - FinELib agreement.