An Expectancy-Value-Cost Approach to Understanding Teachers' Perceptions of Curiosity in K–12 Classrooms

• In Event: Supporting Student Curiosity: Classroom-Based Research and Implications for Practice

Abstract

Students who feel curious when learning tend to remember information better and are more persistent (Di Leo et al., 2020; Vogl et al., 2020). Yet, there are numerous potential barriers to supporting student curiosity in classrooms, including a culture of standardized tests and accountability (Jirout et al., 2018). Understanding how teachers perceive curiosity could provide useful insight into how educators make sense of their role in supporting student feelings of curiosity during learning, including developmental and disciplinary differences, or whether teachers think about curiosity differently from related constructs (i.e., interest, confusion, frustration; Ainley, 2019; Hidi & Renninger, 2019; Peterson & Cohen, 2019). We used expectancy-value theory (Eccles & Wigfield, 2020) as a framework for investigating teachers’ perceived expectancies for success in supporting curiosity, value of curiosity for learning, and costs associated with supporting curiosity. We examined the following three research questions: How do teacher’s perceived expectancies, values, and cost of supporting student curiosity differ from perceptions of interest, confusion, and frustration (RQ1)? Do teachers’ perceived expectancies, values, and cost of supporting curiosity differ by grade level (RQ2) or by discipline (RQ3)?

Teachers (N=183) were randomly assigned to complete a survey about one of the following: curiosity, interest, confusion, or frustration. The survey (adapted from Kosovich et al., 2015) included questions about teachers’ (a) expectancies for success in supporting student emotions during learning (3 items); (b) value of student emotions for learning (3 items); and (c) costs associated with supporting student emotions (4 items). Open-ended questions probed participants to explain their responses to each subscale.

One-way ANOVAs indicated significant differences by emotion in teachers’ expectancies for their success in supporting students’ emotions (F(3, 179)=2.69, p=.048); perceived value of the emotion (F(3, 179)=63.09, p<.001); and costs associated with supporting the emotion (F(3, 179) =2.96, p=.04). Post-hoc analyses revealed that teachers reported higher expectancy, higher value, and lower cost for curiosity compared to confusion and frustration. There were no significant differences between curiosity and interest. When examining only responses about curiosity, a 2 (elementary vs secondary) X 2 (STEM vs non-STEM) ANOVA indicated some differences by grade level and subject area. Specifically, elementary school teachers reported higher levels of expectancy for success in supporting curiosity than secondary teachers. Teachers who taught STEM subjects reported lower levels of value for curiosity compared to non-STEM teachers. There were no differences in cost by grade level or subject area. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses provide insight into these patterns.

In light of potential challenges for supporting student curiosity in classrooms, results from the present study suggest that teachers are generally positive regarding the value of curiosity for learning, find the cost of supporting curiosity to be lower than other related emotions, and expect to be relatively successful in supporting student curiosity. With some exceptions, curiosity was perceived positively across grade levels and disciplines. These findings have implications for considering how to support student curiosity in classrooms, and indicate that teachers may already have a high level of buy-in around supporting curiosity.

Authors

• Emily Grossnickle Peterson, American University

• Allison Zengilowski, Lehigh University