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Interest
Interest
An interest in the subject helps deepen the level of learning compared to surface-level learning. There are 3 types of interest that influence learning and achievement.
1. Individual- an individual's predisposition to pay attention to certain stimuli, events, and objects. Individual interest is enduring and does not change easily.
2. Situational- is captured by the environment around him, such as certain themes. Also, how the tasks are organized and presented. Situational interest is based on the specific task or activity that the individual is asked to engage in that they find interesting. It is more temporal than individual interest.
3. Topic- is the level of interest triggered when specific topics are presented that have individual and situational intrigue.
These 3 types of interest interact with each other and influence learning.
Learning: Incorporating Interest
Learning: Incorporating Interest
The causes of these interest motivational patterns affect the learning goals and academic achievements. An individual level of interest can be influenced to increase learning, but it's only through multiple stages of Situational Interest that someone can acquire an Individual Interest in a subject.
After the 4 stages of Interest, we come to a place where we are versed enough in a topic that we can be interested in a conversation or any learning involved with said topic. For example, if you learn an instrument and leisurely play for years, it is safe to assume that you have developed a topical interest in said instrument. Often, when your instrument is referenced outside of practicing or performing, you become interested in the context it was referenced.
Situational Interest
Situational interest, even if temporary, is still an important part of learning. Harckiewicz et al. (2016) write that "experiencing situational interest can directly promote learning by increasing attention and engagement" (p. 221). The more a student's situational interest is piqued, the more they will engage with the content -- even if they find the subject itself boring.
Identity & Culture
People become interested in learning about a topic when that subject is related to their identity or their culture or subculture. This can relate to broad, overarching identities like religion or country of origin. However, it can also refer to subcultures (e.g., identifying with the punk music scene) or activities that carry cultural identities (like being part of a band; Bergin, 2010, p. 89). Students' interests are piqued when something they learn directly relates to their identity in some way.
Emotions & Competence
The emotions people feel towards a given subject directly correlate to the level of interest they will have towards that topic. Feelings of frustration, stupidity, or irrelevance drive down interest, while feelings like joy, excitement, and curiosity drive up interest (Bergin, 2010, p. 90).
Similarly, a student's interest in a subject depends in part on whether they feel competent in that subject area. If the subject makes them feel stupid or incompetent, the student is likely to be disinterested. On the other hand, if the student feels confident in their abilities in a certain subject area, they will be more likely to be interested in that subject (Bergin, 2010, pp. 90-91).
Utility-Goal Relevance
When a student perceives that a subject is related to and useful for a goal they have, they will become more interested in that subject (Bergin, 2010, pp. 91-92). For example, a student who wants to become an engineer will likely take greater interest in their Algebra and Calculus classes. Conversely, if a student perceives that the subject will not help them in their goals, then they will become disinterested. If a student wants to go on to start their own catering business, they may not take their English classes seriously if they do not see how it will be relevant to that catering business.
Background Knowledge
Having some knowledge about a given topic drives interest (Bergin, 2010, p. 92). The more we already know about something, the more interested we become. If a student already knows about a topic like the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald, they will be more interested in reading The Great Gatsby.
Social Interaction
Though this can vary depending on the individual, social interaction tends to increase interest (Bergin, 2010, p. 93). When students can work cooperatively on an assignment or project, their interest tends to increase, especially when they can work with their friends. Even so, Bergin (2010) notes that this can come at the cost of truly understanding the material (p. 93). This is because the interest in the social interaction can often override the interest in the
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