Feeling our way forward: Embracing emotions in geography higher education

Hill, Jennifer; West, Harry

Abstract

Whilst emotions are increasingly recognised in geographical research, their role in impacting teaching, learning, assessment and broader performance outcomes in geography higher education has been explored to a lesser extent. In this paper, we will undertake a review of relevant literature to explore how geographers have recognised emotions in their pedagogic practices and worked with them meaningfully to enhance student learning and outcomes. We will begin with learners, examining their transition into university, highlighting the importance of building a sense of identity and belonging to enable successful learning. We will track students through their learning journey, highlighting how emotions configure social constructivist learning in the classroom, in the field, through moments of disruption (synchronously and asynchronously), and with reference to future threats/opportunities such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). We will examine the role of student emotions in assessment and feedback and in preparing learners for the transition into graduate employment. We will conclude the paper by looking at recent research concerning the emotions geographers feel as higher education teachers under the stresses of the neoliberal academy. We project the key findings forward, arguing that for geographers to deliver effective higher education pedagogies, which will encourage students to flourish and feel confident enough to impact society positively, it is imperative that emotions are encountered and managed profitably in the academic endeavour.

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: International Geographical Congress
• Start Date: Aug 24, 2024
• End Date: Aug 30, 2024
• Acceptance Date: Mar 1, 2024
• Deposit Date: Aug 30, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 2, 2024
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/12830052