Patterns:
4-Phase Model
Overview
The 4-Phase Model of interest presents a sequence of interest development based in affective and cognitive components, of which have biological roots, as well as the interactions between an individual and particular content. The phases are broken into two main categories: situational and individual.
Both are always motivating. However, situational interests tend to be more short-lived and requiring of external supports such as incentives or prompts, while individual interests stem from internal sources, making them last longer and less in need of environmental or outside aid to maintain. Both have benefits that range from improved reading comprehension, narrowed inferencing, focused attention, prior knowledge activation and application, and overall enhanced learning with situational interest, all the way to improved recognition and recall, the general development of persistence and motivation in academic settings and beyond, and overall cognitive performance with individual interest.
An individual may move between the phases, either up or down, or in some cases, interest may disappear entirely. Movement is impacted by variation in affect (emotions/feelings), knowledge, and value assigned to a particular interest.
Phase 0: No Interest
Phase 0 is characterized by having NO interest in a given subject/topic/activity.
CAUSE: This phase can be caused by none of the factors that make up the other phases being triggered.
Situational
Phase 1: Triggered Situational Interest
short-term
external support
via the environment or text
strategies
integrate group work, puzzles, and computers/technology
CAUSES:
Environmental or Text Features:
This phase can be triggered by incongruous, surprising information, personal relevance, or intensity of the learning material. When students encounter these features, they are more likely to become curious and interested in the subject matter
External Support:
Triggered situational interest is often externally supported by instructional conditions or learning environment. Examples of this could be seen in group work, puzzles, and/or technology-based learning.
Phase 2: Maintained Situational Interest
extended episodes & persistence
more personal involvement in meaningful tasks
external support
still via the environment, prompting, text, etc.
strategies
meaningful and personally involved activities such as project-based learning, collaborative group work, or one-on-one tutoring
CAUSES:
Meaningfulness and Personal Involvement:
Maintained situational interest is maintained through meaningful tasks and personal involvement. When learners perceive tasks as being relevant to themselves, goals, and/or interests, they are more likely to stay engaged and continue learning.
External Support
External support, similar to the triggered phase, plays a role in maintaining interest. Instructional conditions that provide meaningful and personally involving activities (such as project-based learning or one-on-one tutoring) can contribute to interest persistence.
Individual
Phase 3: Emerging Individual Interest
more long-term and sustained
internal support
positive feelings & motivation
curiosity
self-management and resourcefulness
(still requires some external support via peers, experts, teachers, etc.)
strategies
provide challenges, opportunities, and support to students in their interests
CAUSES:
Positive Feelings and Stored Knowledge:
Learners begin to value the learning material due to their own invested curiosity rather than outside influence.
Self-Generated Curiosity
Learners begin to ask their own questions about the material, driving their own independent exploration and learning. This curiosity in particular is a significant cause of a learner’s continued interest.
Phase 4: Well-Developed Individual Interest
long-term
internal support - MORE stable and strong
positive feelings & motivation & stored value
opt to pursue interest given the choice
(may still benefit from external support for resources to support learning and exploration via models, peers, experts, etc.)
generative
seek out questions & answers
self-management & resourceful
constructive and creative
strategies
essentially the same as Phase 3 - provide many challenges, opportunities, and facilitate interactions and discussions to connect and build knowledge
CAUSES:
Positive Feelings and Extensive Knowledge:
Learners in this phase have a deep store of knowledge and strong attachment/feelings about the subject, highly valuing opportunities to reengage with the various tasks related to their interests.
Self-Generated Curiosity and Resourcefulness:
Individuals self-generate curiosity, creating a loop of searching and discovery. With each answer found, a new question takes its place. This drives them to continue on the content with little to no outside influences required.
External and Peer Support:
While primarily self-generated, phase 4 may still find benefit from external support such as peers and/or experts one can bounce ideas off of, compete against, overcome difficulties in learning with, etc.
Diagram
Reference