Abstract
This article reports on a study of teachers’ views on the motivational value of
practical work. The findings suggest that what teachers frequently refer to as motivation is, in a psychological sense, better understood in terms of situational interest. The fact that situational interest is unlikely to endure beyond the end of a lesson helps to explain why students need to be continually re-stimulated by the frequent use of practical work. The implication is that simply doing more of the same practical work is unlikely to motivate students towards opting to study science in the post-compulsory phase of education.
practical work. The findings suggest that what teachers frequently refer to as motivation is, in a psychological sense, better understood in terms of situational interest. The fact that situational interest is unlikely to endure beyond the end of a lesson helps to explain why students need to be continually re-stimulated by the frequent use of practical work. The implication is that simply doing more of the same practical work is unlikely to motivate students towards opting to study science in the post-compulsory phase of education.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 111 |
| Number of pages | 115 |
| Journal | School Science Review |
| Volume | 92 |
| Issue number | 339 |
| Publication status | Published - Dec 2010 |
Keywords
- practical work
- teachers
- motivation