Science Demonstrations as Mediators of Emotional Experiences

Abstract

In this chapter, we present an original study of the flow of emotional energy that occurs during classroom practices associated with science demonstrations. We take the view that macro-social human practices, such as learning to teach science, are grounded in the micro-social processes that take shape in classroom interactions. Drawing on interaction ritual theory and a theory of eventful learning, the focus is to understand and illustrate the way in which subtle emotions, which bubble away beneath the surface of classroom life, are just as important for understanding how one learns to be a science teacher, as more dramatic counterparts like joy. Beginning with a first order ritual in our teacher education classes, we then follow the flow of emotional energy, a steady and durable form of emotional arousal, across time and space through second-order rituals when preservice and beginning teachers enact demonstrations in their high school science teaching. Implications for future research are considered for tackling the final frontier of interaction rituals research: third order rituals.