Predictors of Students’ Intrinsic Motivation in a Biotechnological Out-of-School Student Lab

Kerstin Röllke,Nadine Großmann

doi:10.3389/feduc.2022.859802

Abstract

Out-of-school student labs have been established in the field of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) to support students’ motivation regarding science by giving the opportunity for inquiry-based learning in an authentic learning environment. However, previous research most often lacks to explain and investigate determinants of the reported positive effects of such labs on motivation. Therefore, we investigated predictors of students’ intrinsic motivation during a visit to the out-of-school student lab. 170 secondary school students (58% female; Mage = 16.55 years, SDage = 0.58 years) from 12 courses took part in this study. Our results revealed students’ perceived autonomy and competence as well as their preparation beforehand as predictors of their intrinsic motivation, but not their gender and grade in biology. Out-of-school student labs therefore seem to be an important opportunity to foster intrinsic motivation regardless of individual student characteristics. Since our results show a crucial role of students’ perception of autonomy and competence for their intrinsic motivation in the out-of-school lab, opportunities to implement autonomy and competence support are outlined as practical implications.

Highlights

From the beginning of secondary schooling, students’ motivation is described as progressively decreasing in science education (Braund and Reiss, 2006)
The students’ perceived autonomy and competence as well as their preparation beforehand could be confirmed as predictors of their intrinsic motivation in the out-of-school student lab (H1A, H1B, H1E), but not their gender and grade in biology (H1C, H1D)
Our results suggest that out-of-school student labs provide a great chance to support all students, independent from individual characteristics

Summary

Introduction

From the beginning of secondary schooling, students’ motivation is described as progressively decreasing in science education (Braund and Reiss, 2006). To foster students’ motivation in science education, out-of-school student labs have been established in the field of STEM since the turn of the millennium (Haupt, 2015). In these facilities, students have the chance to work on authentic tasks and to become acquainted with scientific reasoning (Haupt et al, 2013). Students have the chance to work on authentic tasks and to become acquainted with scientific reasoning (Haupt et al, 2013) Since they provide opportunities for performing scientific inquiry, they can supplement and support inquiry-based science education in school (Haupt et al, 2013). The application of scientific inquiry can support the acquisition of scientific literacy (Lee and Butler, 2003) that is an important aim of science education in school (Oliver et al, 2019)

Results

Discussion

Conclusion