Volume 12, Number 1

The Effect of Emotional Awareness Exercises on Adaptiveness in Coping and Empathy with Pre-Service Teachers in Mixed Reality Simulations

  Authors

Ashley Brooksbank¹, Jody S. Piro¹, Carrie Straub², and Erik Gundel¹, ¹Western Connecticut State University, United States, ²Mursion

  Introduction

The purpose of this mixed-methods convergent research study was to gain insight into the perceived importance of emotional awareness with two groups of pre-service teachers (PSTs) participating in a mixed reality simulator (MRS), as well as the impact of emotional awareness exercises in a MRS on adaptiveness in coping and empathy with the treatment group. Statistical significance was found on for the Affective Empathy QCAE subscale score for the treatment group. Three themes emerged from the qualitative data of survey responses: emotional awareness as it related to emotional state, emotional state and emotional awareness as it related to having an impact on performance, and emotional awareness as it related to the context of the simulator experience. Implications are provided for teacher educators using mixed reality simulations.

  Keywords

Mixed Reality Simulations, Emotional Awareness, Emotional Intelligence, Teacher Education.