Learning from Mistakes: A Phenomenological Study of the Lived Experience of Elementary School Students

Background and Purpose: The present study aims to explore the lived experiences of elementary school students regarding moments of making mistakes in the learning process and to analyse the emotional, cognitive, and educational dimensions of such experiences. Given the critical role of elementary education in shaping students’ academic identity, self-concept, and attitudes toward error, this study seeks to uncover, from the children’s own perspectives, the meaning and consequences of mistakes.
Methodology: The research employed a qualitative design with a descriptive phenomenological approach, and data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. The study population consisted of all students at Hejrat Boys’ Primary School in Arak, located in a socio-culturally disadvantaged migrant neighborhood. Through purposive sampling, 50 students from grades two to six, who had salient lived experiences of mistakes in class, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were fully transcribed and analyzed through deep reading, extraction of significant statements, initial coding, clustering of themes, and participant validation.
Findings: Findings revealed that students’ experiences of mistakes were accompanied by a range of negative emotions such as shame, humiliation, anxiety, rejection, hopelessness, and self-blame. Nevertheless, within a safe and empathetic context, these experiences could foster cognitive growth, enhance motivation, promote socio-emotional learning, and increase self-awareness.
Conclusion: This duality resulted in the identification of six challenge clusters and four opportunity clusters. Emphasizing the importance of listening to children’s voices, the study suggests that mistakes, as an educational phenomenon, require redefinition in educational policy, improvement of teachers’ emotional literacy, and the design of safe and supportive learning environments.