To Level The Playing Field, Develop Interest

Authors

K. Ann Renninger, Swarthmore CollegeFollow
S. E. Hidi

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2020

Published In

Policy Insights From The Behavioral And Brain Sciences

Abstract

Individuals do not all come to tasks, activities, or assignments with the same readiness to engage. Differences in the ability to focus, comprehend, or problem-solve can lead to inequalities of outcome and make learners less likely to realize their potential. Given that interest development supports persistence, conscientiousness, and the ability to work with negative feedback, educators and policymakers could help to increase educational opportunity for all by promoting the development of interest. Interest is a cognitive and motivational variable that describes (a) engagement, or participation, with some content (such as physics, writing, or baseball) and also (b) the motivation to continue to seek opportunities to engage with that content: seeking information, posing questions, and tackling challenge. Interest works because the information search it creates is rewarding. The development of interest heightens understanding and sustains engaged work. It also positively influences outcomes such as performance and continued enrollment. Even the development of a little interest can make a difference. Educators and policymakers can enhance educational opportunities by promoting interest development. Methods are described.

Keywords

interest, engagement, motivation, educational policy, reward, learning, teaching

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Comments

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Recommended Citation

K. Ann Renninger and S. E. Hidi. (2020). "To Level The Playing Field, Develop Interest". Policy Insights From The Behavioral And Brain Sciences. Volume 7, Issue 1. 10-18. DOI: 10.1177/2372732219864705
https://works.swarthmore.edu/fac-education/145