Fifth article

interest

interactive relation between an individual and aspects of their environment (objects, events, or ideas) that is content-specific and includes both cognitive and affective components.

two types of interest

Individual Interest

Situational Interest

Individual Interest:

A stable, personal disposition towards a topic that develops over time, associated with increased knowledge and positive feelings.

Situational Interest:

A temporary, immediate reaction triggered by environmental factors, which may or may not last.

How does individual interest influence learning and motivation?

It increases attention, persistence, enjoyment, and learning outcomes, and serves as a strong determinant of academic motivation.

What role does situational interest play for students without pre-existing individual interest?

It motivates academically unmotivated students by eliciting engagement and fostering interest in specific content areas.

What factors trigger situational interest?

Novelty, vividness, intensity, ease of comprehension, and character identification in tasks or text materials.

What helps maintain situational interest over time?

Factors like meaningfulness, personal relevance, and empowerment

How can educators enhance situational interest in the classroom?

By presenting materials in meaningful contexts, offering choices to students, promoting autonomy, and structuring tasks to engage attention.

what enhances situational interest in classroom

Cooperative learning, group work, and peer teaching (e.g., Jigsaw techniques)

How do individual and situational interests interact?

Individual interest can moderate situational interest, and situational interest can evolve into individual interest when sustained over time.

How can individuals regulate their interest in uninteresting tasks?

By using strategies like creating games out of tasks or connecting tasks to personal value, individuals can maintain motivation and enhance interest.

What educational value lies in teaching students self-regulation strategies?

It enables students to sustain interest and motivation in tasks they find uninteresting, fostering persistence and improved learning outcomes.

How does interest manifest in text-based learning?

Interesting text features (e.g., novelty, vividness) enhance comprehension, recall, and learning outcomes.

What was the outcome of using Jigsaw procedures in a science museum setting?

Children showed increased interest, spent more time on exhibits, and felt empowered by becoming "experts" and teaching others.

What is the significance of affective-cognitive synthesis in interest?

It combines positive emotions with focused attention and meaningful thoughts, sustaining situational interest and fostering intrinsic motivation.

How can situational interest serve as a motivator in education?

By triggering engagement and gradually becoming self-initiated, situational interest transitions into intrinsic motivation, driving sustained learning.

intrinsic motivation?

motivation driven by internal factors, where individuals engage in activities because they find them inherently enjoyable or satisfying.

What are the components of intrinsic motivation?

consists of experiential and dispositional components.

Experiential components include enjoyment and interest in activities,

dispositional components involve a general tendency to seek out stimulating activities.

What is the difference between individual interest and intrinsic motivation?

Individual interest is the initial personal attraction to an activity, which can eventually lead to intrinsic motivation if it results in sustained engagement and enjoyment over time.

How does situational interest relate to intrinsic motivation?

Situational interest can precede intrinsic motivation, but it may not always result in positive emotions unless sustained or nurtured by the individual over time.

External rewards, such as praise or monetary incentives, can

undermine intrinsic motivation, especially for simple tasks, but may support motivation for long-term, complex activities.

What are the two types of achievement goals?

• Mastery (learning) goals: Focus on skill development and knowledge acquisition.

• Performance (ego) goals: Focus on demonstrating ability by outperforming others.

Mastery goals encourage

persistence, deep engagement with content, and risk-taking in learning. They are linked to positive academic behaviors like effort and challenge-seeking.

Performance goals can lead to

avoidance of challenging tasks, a focus on proving one's ability, and superficial learning strategies when competence is perceived as low.

What is the relationship between mastery and performance goals?

While they can be endorsed separately, mastery and performance goals are often integrated in students, and when both are endorsed, they can positively influence academic outcomes like self-regulation and performance.

Feedback provides

valuable information for self-assessment and adjustment of learning strategies. Positive feedback can enhance motivation, while constructive feedback helps individuals identify areas for improvement.

goal orientations

underlying reasons and beliefs that guide individuals in setting goals. They influence the choice of goals, persistence, and response to challenges.

Teachers can shape motivation by

fostering a supportive learning environment, encouraging mastery goals, providing constructive feedback, and promoting the value of learning over performance.

What are the two types of performance goals distinguished by Midgley et al. (1998)?

The two types of performance goals are:

1. Extrinsic goals: Focus on obtaining external rewards (e.g., grades or parental approval) and avoiding external sanctions.

2. Relative ability goals: Focus on competence defined through social comparisons, aiming to outperform others and appear more competent.

What is the difference between performance-approach and performance-avoidance goals according to Elliot and colleagues (1996)?

• Performance-approach goals: Motivated to outperform others and demonstrate competence.

• Performance-avoidance goals: Motivated by the desire to avoid failure and maintain an image of competence.

Mastery goals are associated with

positive outcomes, such as increased task involvement, self-efficacy, and interest. They promote deeper engagement and intrinsic motivation, as they focus on skill development and mastery rather than external rewards.

What is the relationship between interest and goals in academic motivation?

Interest and goals are closely interconnected. Students who are interested in a subject are likely to adopt mastery goals, and those with mastery goals are more likely to develop interest in that subject. The relationship is reciprocal, with goals fostering interest and interest encouraging goal adoption.

Performance goals can both

enhance and undermine interest.

While performance-approach goals may increase interest by focusing on demonstrating competence,

performance-avoidance goals can decrease interest due to anxiety and evaluative pressure.

The impact of performance goals on intrinsic motivation depends on

personality factors.

Individuals with a high achievement orientation benefit more from performance-approach goals, while those with a low achievement orientation tend to benefit from mastery goals.