Teaching and learning high school mathematics in the post-COVID-19 era: investigating the emotion factor.

Introduction: Emotions play a pivotal role in learning, particularly in the post-COVID-19 era where online instruction has become prevalent. Despite this, emotional engagement in online mathematics remains underexplored. Methods: The study introduces the Assessment Online Emotions Questionnaire (AOEQ), developed to assess emotional dynamics among 406 10th-grade students in online mathematics. Guided by Russell's Circumplex Model of Affect, data were analyzed using EFA and CFA to validate the instrument. Results: The analyses confirmed a robust three-factor structure (Useful, Unuseful, Neutral Emotions) with high reliability and significant correlations between emotional states and academic performance. Discussion: Findings highlight the predictive power of positive emotions for academic success and propose AOEQ as an innovative tool for evaluating emotional engagement in virtual learning.