Chapter 5:

Affective Learning Competencies

Prepared by:
Jolina Arandia
Sharie Mae H. JEciel
 In this chapter, the importance of affective targets, affective traits
and learning targets as well as affective domain of the taxonomy of
educational objectives will be discussed.
1. Importance of affective
targets
 Researchers have established the clear link between affect and
cognitive learning (ormrod,2004). Students are more proficient in
problem solving if they enjoy what they do. Students who are in
good mood and emotionally involved are more likely to pay
attention to information, remember it meaningfully and apply it.
 It also makes difficult to determine which affective targets are
appropriate for all students.
 It is simply not easy to define attitudes, values and interests.
 Many potential sources of error in measuring affective traits often
result in low reliability.
 Students need to take such assessments seriously to provide accurate
results, but still many may restrain from giving honest answer if the
responses are not treated with anonymity and confidentiality.
 It would be easier to fake responses to self-report instrument if the
results are to be used for grading or some other purpose.
 Teacher’s bias may also contribute significantly on what may be
recorded or perceived.
Positive affective traits and skills are essential
for:
 Effective learning
 Being involve and productive member of society.
 Preparing for occupational and vocational satisfaction and
productivity.
 Maximizing the motivation to learn at present and in the future.
 Preventing students from dropping out of school.
2. Affective Traits and
Learning Targets
 The word affective refers to a variety of traits and dispositions that
are different from knowledge, reasoning, and skills (Hohn, 1995).
Technically, this term means the emotion or feelings that one has
toward someone or something.
 Attitudes, values, self concept, citizenship, and other traits are
usually considered to be non-cognitive, include more than emotions
or feelings.
 Most kinds of students affect involve both emotion and cognitive
beliefs.
 TRAIT DESCRIPTION
Attitudes Predisposition to respond favorably or unfavorably to
specified situations, concept, objects, institution, or
persons.
Interests Personal preference for certain kinds of activities.
Values Importance, worth, or usefulness of modes or conduct
and end states of existence.
Opinions Beliefs about specific occurrences and situations.
Preferences Desire to select one object over another.
Motivation Desire willingness to be engaged in behavior including
intensity of involvement.
Academic Self-Concept Self-perception of competence in school and learning
Self-Esteem Attitudes toward oneself; degree of self-respect,
worthiness, or desirability of self concept.
Locus of Control Self-perception of whether success and failure is
controlled by the student or by external influences.
Emotional Development Growth, change, and awareness of emotions and ability
to regulate emotional expression.
Social Relationships Nature of interpersonal interactions and functioning in
group setting.
Altruism Willingness and propensity to help others
Moral Development Attainment of ethical principles that guide decision-
making and behavior
Classroom Development Nature of feeling tones and interpersonal relationship in
a class
2.1 Attitude Targets
 McMillan (1980) defines attitudes as internal states that influence
what students as likely to do. The internal state can in some degree
determine positive or negative or favorable or unfavorable reaction
toward an object, situation, person or group of objects, general
environment, or group of persons.
 In a learning institution, attitude is contingent on subjects, teachers,
other students, homework, and other object or persons.
 A Positive Attitude Toward A Negative Attitude Toward
 Learning  Cheating

 Math, Science, English, and  Drug use

other subjects
 Bullying
 Assignments
 Cutting classes
 Classroom rules
 Dropping out
 Teachers
 In researches conducted by social psychologists, they found that
attitudes consist of three components or contributing factors
(Forsyth, 1999):

1. An affective component of positive or negative feelings.

2. A cognitive component describing worth or value.
3. A behavioral component indicating a willingness or desire to
engage in particular actions
 The affective component consist of emotion or feeling associated
with an object or a person (good or bad feelings, enjoyment, likes,
comfort, anxiety, etc.) When this teacher describe students as liking
math or enjoying art, the teacher is focusing on the affective
component. The cognitive components is an evaluative belief (such
as thinking something as valuable.
 The behavioral component is actually responding in a positive way.
A strong and stable attitude is manifested when all three
components are consistent. Which means that, if a student like
science, the student thinks it is valuable, and reads science related
materials at home, it translates that the student has a very strong
positive attitude
2.2 Value Targets
 Generally, values refer either to end stated of existence or to modes
of conduct that are desirable or sought.
 End states of existence refer to conditions and aspects of oneself and
the kind of world that a person wants such as safe life, world peace,
freedom, happiness, social acceptance, and wisdom. And modes of
conduct are manifested in what a person believe is appropriate and
needed in everyday existence such as being hones, cheerful,
ambitious, loving, responsible, and helpful.
Value Sample Value Target
Honesty Students should learn to value honesty in
their dealing with others.
Integrity Students should firmly observe their own
code of values.
Justice Students should support the view that all
citizens should be the recipients of equal
justice from government law enforcement
agencies.
Freedom Students should believe that democratic
countries must provide the maximum level of
freedom to their citizens
 McMillan (2007) and Popham (2005) suggested other non-
controversial values these are:

 Kindness
 Generosity
 Perseverance
 Loyalty
 Respect
 Courage
 Compassion
 Tolerance
2.3 Motivation Targets
 In education, motivation can be defined as the extent to which
students are involved in trying to learn (McMillan,2007)
 This includes:
1. students’ initiation of learning,
2. Intensity of effort exerted
3. Students commitment
4. Students’ persistence
 In other words, motivation is determined engagement in learning in
order to gain mastery of knowledge or skills; students take learning
seriously and give importance to opportunities to learn.
 Motivation can be organized according to the Expectancy X Value
Framework (Brophy, 2004;Pintrich & Schunk, 2002)
 The model implies that motivation is determined by students’
expectation, their beliefs about whether they are likely to be
successful, and the relevance of the outcome.
 Expectations refers to the self-efficacy of the students
 Self-efficacy is the students self-perception of his or her capability
to perform successfully.
 Values are self-perception of the importance of the performance.
 Like attitudes, motivation is too ambiguous to use the general
definition as an outcome because it is difficult to pinpoint the source
of lack of effort and involvement.
 McMillan (2007) suggests that motivation targets should focus in
self-efficacy and value, distinct by academic subject and type of
learning (like knowledge, understanding, reasoning).
Some example of motivation targets:

 Student will believe that they are capable of learning how to write
simple computer programs for Java. (self-efficacy)
 Students will believe that it is important to know how to write
simple computer programs using Java. (value)
Assessing Motivation

 It is important to consider why students are learning, the reasons

students’ give for their actions.
 When students do something or engage themselves in activities
because they find the activities interesting, enjoyable, or
challenging, they are extrinsically motivated.
 While extrinsic motivation is doing something because it leads to a
reward or punishment.
 Likewise, it has been shown that students who are motivated by a
need to understand and master the task (mastery orientation) show
more positive behavior and thinking as compared to those who are
doing something for the result or outcome (performance operation).
 Students who are for mastery orientation are more engaged, have in
general, inclination to generate solutions to difficulties, and generate
more positive credits to success and failure. (success attributed to
ability and moderate effort; failure to lack of effort).
2.4 Academic Self-Concept
Targets
 Extensive literature on self-concept and self esteem are available for
references.
 Most educators refer to these characteristics when dealing with
students who have problems with school and learning (e.g., “Juan
has a low self-concept,” “Juana has a low opinion of herself”).
 It is accepted that these beliefs are important even when controversy
over whether self-concept and self-esteem proceed or result from
academic learning.
 Some level of positive self-efficacy is needed for achievement
(McMillan, 2007).
 It is likely that the said aspect of self-concept is formed, at least in
part, when children experience meaningful success with moderate
effort.
 In setting targets, it is helpful to remember that self-concept and self
esteem are multidimensional (Marsh & Craven, 1997).
 There is there is bodily self, an athletic self, mathematical self, a
social self and others.
 Each person has a self-description in each are, that form one’s self
concept or self image.
 Moreover, individuals have a sense of self-regard, self-affirmation,
and self-worth in each area (self-esteem).
 Hence, a student can have a self-concept that he is tall and thin, but
feel very comfortable with it and accept description.
 On the contrary there can be another student who has the same self-
concept but feel inferior, or inadequate, thus, have a low self
esteem.
Assessing the Academic Self-Concept

 Universal self-concept, and self esteem targets must be avoided

including self-description and an evaluation of that description.
 General self-concept measured through attitudes and motivations is
not beneficial since general self-concept are from areas not directly
related to academic learning.
 Through specifying academic self-concept or self-concept in
academic ability a more valid indication of what students think of
themselves as learners will be known.
 Targets that are specific to subject areas will yield to amore useful
information.
 In addition, it is helpful to know where students draw the line
between descriptions of themselves and if they like those
descriptions.
 For cases of more serious mental or emotional problems, a general
measure may be needed, however, it is best to leave those kind of
assessment for such cases to school psychologist or counselor.
2.5 Social Relationship Targets
 A complex set of interaction skills, including identification of and
appropriate responses to social indications, defined social
relationships.
The table below contains examples of the nature of social
relationships that can be used as targets.

• Peer relations • Friendship

• Cooperation • Collaboration
• Taking a stand • Conflict resolution
• Functioning in groups • Assertiveness
• Prosocial behaviour • Empathy

*Behaviors that are intended to help others.

 The examples cited in the table are mostly relevant in basic
education, specifically in the elementary level as these social traits
are needed skills in their academic achievement.
 And at the secondary level, social traits that enhances, interpersonal
abilities are becoming more important as the schools work with the
business community to assess the need, specially those needs
pertaining to skills necessary to be successful in the workplace.
 Moreover, social interaction is a key element of knowledge
construction, active learning, and deep understanding (Borich &
Tombari, 2004)
 As long as there are interactions that happen, students need to make
necessary adjustments in their thinking and actions so as to
accommodate other’s viewpoints, to defend their ideas to others,
and to share their opinions.
 In addition, interaction can help promote good reasoning, and
problem-solving skills through observation and engagement in such
activities.
Presented in the table below are some examples of social
relationship areas and corresponding targets.

Social Relationship Target Concern Example

Peer relationship • Showing interest in others Students will share their ideas
• Listening to peers in a small group discussion
• Sharing to a group
• Contributing to group activities

Cooperative Skills • Sharing Students will demonstrate that

• Listening they are able to negotiate with
• Volunteering ideas and others and compromise
suggestions
• Supporting and accepting others’
ideas
• Taking turns
• Criticizing constructively
Collaborative skills needed to work in small groups may
include four components namely:

1. Basic interaction
2. Getting along
3. Coaching
4. Fulfilling particular roles
2.6 Classroom environment
Targets
 In every classroom there is a unique climate that is felt at every
point in time. Some manifest a comfortable atmosphere, others have
relaxed and productive ambiance.
 As a result, there are classes that are happy and content while others
are serious and tensed due to the effect of the classroom climate.
 It follows that students behave differently as dictated also by the
classroom climate, some shows warm and supportive class while
others register as cold and rejecting.
 All these situations are what is known as classroom environment,
classroom climate or classroom culture.
As affective target, learning should seek to establish student
feelings, relationships, and beliefs that promote positive
classroom environment.
CHARACTERISTIC DESCRIPTION
Affiliation The extent to which student like and
accept each other
Involvement The extent to which students are
interested in and engaged learning.
Task orientation The extent to which classroom activities
are focused on the completion of
academic task.
Cohesiveness The extent to which students share norms
and expectations.
Competition The emphasis on competition between
students.
Favoritism Whether each student enjoys the same
privileges.
Influence The extent to which student influences
classroom decisions.
Friction The extent to which student bicker with
one another.
Formality The emphasis on imposing rules.
Communication The extent to which communication
among students and teacher is honest and
authentic.
Warmth The extent to which students care about
each other and show concern.
 One of the relevant inputs to improve the classroom environment is
to compare student’s perspectives as far as classroom ambiance.

For example: The students perceive that there is a need to

establish a more positive classroom environment while on the
other hand, the teachers see that the classroom environment is
ore positive.
 The difference on the perception of the students and the teachers
with respect to the level of positivity of the classroom environment
is a good source of information to identify what areas to improve in
the classroom environment so as to maximize the student learning.
3. Affective Domain of the
Taxonomy of Educational
Objectives
 In 1964, David R. Krathwohl, Together with his colleagues,
extended Bloom’s Taxonomy Educational Objectives by publishing
the second taxonomy objectives, this time giving emphasis on the
affective domain.
 Krathwohl and his collaborators attempted to subdivide affective
realm into relatively distinct divisions. Five different levels of
affective objectives were described in the affective taxonomy.
LEVEL DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
Receiving Concerned with student’s sensitivity to the Students does mathematics
(Attending) existence of certain phenomena and activities for grade.
stimuli, that is with student’s willingness
to receive or to attend to this stimuli
It is categorized in three subdivisions that
shows the different levels of attending to
phenomena:
1. Awareness of the phenomena
2. Willingness to receive the
phenomena.
3. Controlled or selected attention
to phenomena.
Responding Concerned with responses that go
beyond merely attending to
phenomena.
Students are sufficiently motivated
that they ate not just willing to attend
but are actively attending.
Valuing Reflects the student’s holding of a
particular importance or value.
Students display behaviour with
sufficient consistency in appropriate
situations that are perceived as
holding this value.
Students gives special
attention to the discussion
of Mathematics lessons to
be able to answer the
activities.
Students actively and
consistently participates in
the discussion and
interestingly answers all the
activities in Mathematics.
Organizing Students successively internalized values,
they encounter situations in which the one
value is relevant. This requires the
necessity of organizing their values into a
system such that certain values exercise
greater control.
Characterized by a Internalization has taken place in an
Value or Value individual’s value hierarchy to the extent
Complex that he or she can be characterized as
holding a particular value or set of values.
Student integrates the lessons
learned in Math with Science.
Student applies the lessons
learned in Mathematics in
daily activities such as buying,
cooking, and others.
 The aforementioned affective taxonomy serves as a valuable part of
assessment of affect. Through them, standard or level of affect that
is part of the target is determined. In addition, it is also provides
good suggestions for using student behaviors as indicators of affect
at each of the level.