In the theoretical part of the master thesis there are firstly presented emotions in general, then emotion of anger with the focus on recognition, expression and regulation of anger, specific strategies of anger regulation and emotion of anger in school environment.
Empirical part includes qualitative and quantitative research. Twenty-six pupils of third and fourth grade took part in the research, in which they took part in a half-structured interview before and after our training of emotion regulation and structured observation of their emotional expressions during our training. Training consisted of activities: solving worksheets about recognition, expression, and regulation of emotions, especially anger; learning new strategies of emotion regulation, especially anger; conversations about it and trying various relaxation techniques. At the beginning and at the end of everyday activity of the training each student recognised and commented on his current emotional state.
In my research I wanted to figure out the ways in which the students will recognise and express anger before and during our training, in which ways will they regulate their anger before and after our training and how successful will they be at regulating anger during everyday activities in training. Furthermore, I wanted to find out which relaxation techniques will students recognize as the most efficient for regulating anger.
Results gathered before training show that students can recognise emotion of anger and reasons for it with the main reason of their anger being violence of all kinds. When they are dealing with anger they all feel uncomfortable and want their emotions to improve as soon as possible. In almost all students anger is accompanied with the violent impulses. Before our training emotion of happiness was the most frequently reported, while the emotion of anger when reported at the beginning of the activity was regulated during the activity and students felt other, more pleasant emotions at the end of the activity. Students reported they mostly regulate their anger by redirecting their attention, moving out of the situation or by conversation.
Results of the interviews after training showed that when dealing with anger most students use strategy where they first stop and think about their reaction, they use breathing exercises, they are solving conflicts by conversation, practise mindfullness and by counting strategies. Results of observation during our training showed that students were quite successful in regulating anger, some of the students needed a few warnings during the activities. Reasons and frequency of the warnings were changing throughout the training. Students believe that most efficient relaxation techniques are breathing exercises, mindfullness, yoga, massage, activities that include moving and visualization.
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