GENDER AND LEARNING - DOES EMOTION MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Research into learning at the tertiary level has paid little attention to emotional factors in learning. In this study, emotions experienced in classrooms are examined through written narratives, using the methodology of Memory-Work. The experiences, reflections and writings of the women taking part indicate the centrality of relationships in the construction of beliefs about themselves as learners, and the persistence of such beliefs through to adulthood and tertiary education. The findings suggest that emotionally-laden beliefs and behaviours, which are inextricably bound up with cognition, profoundly influence learning at tertiary level. Particularly powerful for women are emotions associated with being affirmed and being shamed. Conflicting discourses of caring and competitiveness, compliance and rebellion, and silence and risktaking, have their roots in pride and shame. These emotions are basic organising themes around which well-being is constructed. They are powerful motivators in tertiary learning, and if, as it appears, they are constructed differently for men and women, both emotion and gender are significant factors in learning.