Emotions in Students with Mild Intellectual Disability in Primary Schools

The article presents an analysis of the expression of emotions in students with mild intellectual disabilities who are attending primary schools with an adapted programme with lower educational standards (N=63). An observation scheme was used to focus on the type and frequency of the students’ emotions, as well as the situations that trigger them. The results show that the students expressed a variety of emotions, with positive emotions prevailing. Joy was the most frequently expressed emotion, followed by anger. The students expressed significantly more positive than negative emotions, and more basic than complex emotions, with boys expressing significantly more positive and basic emotions than girls. The situations triggering each emotion varied, but emotions were mainly triggered by situations related to learning, academic performance, disciplinary problems, and relationships with classmates and teachers. The results of the study may be applicable to all education professionals working with students with mild intellectual disabilities.