Emotion, Motivation, and Learning: Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Education

Dear Colleagues,

Emotions and motivation play fundamental roles in shaping how individuals engage with, process, and retain knowledge—far beyond being secondary variables in education, they represent the very foundation upon which meaningful learning, creativity, and personal development are built. Contemporary educational research has consistently demonstrated that affective and motivational factors determine not only the depth of cognitive processing, but also the persistence, satisfaction, and overall well-being of learners and educators alike.

This Special Issue of Behavioral Sciences, entitled “Emotion, Motivation, and Learning: Interdisciplinary Perspectives in Education,” seeks to bring together a wide range of empirical, theoretical, and applied studies that explore the intricate connections between emotion, motivation, and learning. We especially welcome contributions addressing emotional regulation, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, socio-emotional learning, teacher and student emotions, and the neurobehavioral mechanisms underlying affective engagement and cognitive performance. Studies that examine the cultural, contextual, and technological dimensions of emotion and motivation in education are particularly encouraged, as these perspectives offer valuable insights into the diversity of emotional experiences across different societies, institutions, and learning modalities.

Furthermore, we invite contributions that address cognitive–emotional integration—the ways in which emotion and cognition co-regulate learning processes. Advances in cognitive neuroscience and educational psychology reveal that emotion is not separate from thought, but rather a constitutive element of reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving. These findings invite us to rethink pedagogical models, assessment practices, and teacher training programs from an affective–cognitive perspective, in which motivation, empathy, and regulation skills are as essential as intellectual rigor.

By integrating diverse disciplinary approaches—from psychology, pedagogy, and neuroscience to philosophy and the social sciences—this Special Issue aims to advance the dialog on the affective foundations of learning. It seeks to promote a deeper understanding of how emotional and motivational processes interact with cognitive and sociocultural factors, shaping human development in educational contexts marked by diversity, technology, and constant transformation.

We warmly encourage researchers, educators, and practitioners to submit their manuscripts to this Special Issue. Contributions may include original research, meta-analyses, theoretical reviews, or innovative case studies that explore the intersections between emotion, motivation, and learning from interdisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives. By joining this conversation, authors will help expand a vital field of inquiry that has profound implications for educational policy, teacher education, and classroom practice.

Dr. Gerardo Fuentes-Vilugrón
Dr. Felipe Caamaño-Navarrete
Dr. Carlos Arriagada-Hernández
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Behavioral Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.