Effects of situational interest dimensions on students' learning strategies in physical education

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that situational interest, as a primary motivator for students, affects student cognitive engagement. Considering this, the purpose of this study was to examine, within a situated perspective, the effects of situational interest dimensions on students’ learning strategies in physical education. A total of 148 tenth-grade students (mean age 1⁄4 16.1, 15–17 years, standard deviation 1⁄4 1.3, 40% boys) participated in a 30-minute body-conditioning learning task. Students’ situational interest and learning strategies were measured using validated self-reported ques- tionnaires. Using correlations and regression analyses, the results showed that exploration intention positively predicts the learning strategies used by students. To motivate students and enhance their learning strategies, teachers could consider designing learning tasks that require higher-order cognitive processes demanding active exploration.