Login / Signup

Interest Matters: The Importance of Promoting Interest in Education.

Judith M HarackiewiczJessi L SmithStacy J Priniski
Published in: Policy insights from the behavioral and brain sciences (2016)
Interest is a powerful motivational process that energizes learning, guides academic and career trajectories, and is essential to academic success. Interest is both a psychological state of attention and affect toward a particular object or topic, and an enduring predisposition to reengage over time. Integrating these two definitions, the four-phase model of interest development guides interventions that promote interest and capitalize on existing interests. Four interest-enhancing interventions seem useful: attention-getting settings, contexts evoking prior individual interest, problem-based learning, and enhancing utility value. Promoting interest can contribute to a more engaged, motivated, learning experience for students.
Keyphrases
  • working memory
  • medical students
  • physical activity
  • healthcare
  • depressive symptoms
  • quality improvement