Assessing Academic Interest Development for Taiwanese University Students

• In Event: Developing Instruments to Measure and Improve Student Learning

Abstract

Interest is an important motivational variable influencing learning outcomes. It is advisable for instructors to assist students in developing personal interests. Therefore, grounded on the four-phase interest development model, we devised an Academic Interest Development Scale for university students (AIDS-U). Participants were 304 Taiwanese university students, including undergraduate- and graduate-level students. Exploratory factor analysis suggested a scale with 16 items containing four dimensions: persistence, values, information seeking, and self-regulation. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed this structure for AIDS-U. The follow-up analyses, MANOVA and ANOVA, found that education level is a significant determinant for the interest development, while gender is not. Specifically, graduate students tend to have a more advanced interest development in academic majors than undergraduate students.

Authors

• Yi-Chen Juan, National Chiao Tung University
  Presenting Author

• Chen-Hsuan Liao, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Yuan-Hsuan Lee, National Tsing Hua University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jiun-Yu Wu, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
  Non-Presenting Author