Students' Basic Psychological Needs and the Development of Situational Interest During Problem-Based Learning

• In Event: 75.050 - On Creating and Maintaining the Experience of Interest

Abstract

Purpose
Although problem-based learning (PBL) has become a major alternative to direct instruction, little is known about students’ motivational development during PBL activities (Belland, Kim & Hannafin, 2013). This is surprising, since research in this area holds great benefit for both, the instructional design of PBL environments and the empirical advancement of theories of motivation. The purpose of this longitudinal mixed-methods study is to trace students’ development of situational interest (SI) during PBL and to address the question about how students’ emotional experiences mediate the relationship between different task affordances and students’ experience of SI.

Theoretical framework
The theoretical framework of the study draws on both, interest theory (Hidi & Renninger, 2006) and self-determination theory (SDT) (Ryan & Deci, 2000). Krapp (2005) connected SDT‘s basic needs (BN) for autonomy, competence and relatedness with SI development. As such, the concept of the BN provides further specification of the emotional conditions which facilitate SI during task engagement.

Methods
The study followed 327 high school students (36% female, mean age =14.79 y (SD = 1.01)) through a 15 lessons intervention based on a standard PBL cycle model (Schwartz, Lin, Brophy & Bransford, 1999) in the science classroom. At six critical occasions during the intervention (e.g. inquiry, presentation, reflection) students rated their SI (2 components: catch & hold) and their BN satisfaction via questionnaires. Besides, 31 retrospective in-depth interviews were conducted to identify students’ subjective reasons for SI development.

Data sources, evidence
Structural equation modeling was used on the survey data to identify longitudinal patterns of change and determine the predictive function of the BN on students’ SI beyond the prediction afforded by students’ initial interest. Interview codings matched the description of the BN, specifying the conditions where BN were supported and where students perceived a lack of BN support.

Results
The different activities yielded significantly different mean levels of SI acknowledging its dynamic character. Together, initial interest (7% - 20%) and the BN (20% - 40%) explained between 30% – 50 % of SI variance. SI was more associated with BN variance at the different occasions than with variance in students’ initial interest. The BN were differently and uniquely related to SI on different occasions. During “inquiry”, for example, students’ sense of autonomy and competence were strongly associated with SI, whereas during “presentation” especially relatedness predicted SI. Thus, different BN mediated the relationship between the specific affordances of certain PBL activities and SI. Interview analyses added to these findings as they prompted students to additionally identify task/context conditions characterized by a lack of BN support. During inquiry, for example, students specified teacher controlling behaviors as restricting their autonomy and reducing SI.

Scientific significance
This study extends previous research which focused on cognitive mechanisms (Rotgans & Schmidt, 2014) to explain SI development during PBL. Students identified favorable and unfavorable conditions based on their BN experiences as important for their SI development. This provides empirical evidence for the connection between BN and SI and helps to improve the design of motivational scaffolds for PBL environments.

Authors

• Maximilian Knogler, Technische Universität München

• Alexander Gröschner, University of Paderborn

• Katrin Neubauer, Technical University Munich

• Doris Lewalter, Technical University of Munich