Interest in Biology: Grade-dependent Differences and Benefits of Participating in Out-of-school Interventions

Abstract

Many studies have shown a decrease in scientific interest with an increase in age. Since interest is linked to a high degree of deep-level learning, it is of great relevance to foster interest in science. This study investigates interest in biology from 7th, 9th, and 12th grade students in Germany (N=257). Results show a significantly lower interest in 9th grade in comparison to 7th grade, but a significantly higher level of interest in 12th grade compared to 9th grade. This increase could potentially be linked to the fact that students can chose to continue taking biology in upper secondary education, which leads them to be more interested in the subject. In order to increase interest in 9th grade students, a one-day intervention in an out-of-school student laboratory was developed. During the intervention, students conducted hands-on experiments to investigate the field of bionics. Students in 7th and 9th grade (N=121) participated in the intervention. An increase in interest in biology was observed in both grades. This highlights the potential of out-of-school laboratories to foster and develop interest. Future studies should investigate if the same effect is achieved using in-school interventions as well as looking at possible long-term effects.