School-Prompted Interest Among 4th to 12th Graders

• In Event: 31.091 - Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: 31.091-4 - Explorations in Student Interest and Self-Concept

Abstract

School-prompted interest occurs when students develop an interest in some topic through school learning and continue to pursue this interest outside of school. We surveyed 3,650 4th to 12th grade students and measured school-prompted interest, classroom engagement, academic self-efficacy, and achievement goals. There were low rates of school-prompted interest, which dropped from grade four to grade ten, and then rebounded a little, following the pattern found in previous studies of interest. Behavioral classroom engagement-effortful class participation was the strongest predictor of school-prompted interest when controlling for other variables. Students who participate in class are most likely to learn more about classroom topics outside of school.

Authors

• David A. Bergin, University of Missouri

• Ze Wang, University of Missouri

• Christi Crosby Bergin, University of Missouri