Exploring the Potential for Safety Training in VR to Generate Emotional Engagement and Situational Interest among Construction Workers

Exploring factors influencing Chinese undergraduates' EFL learning interest: A connective instruction perspective.

ABSTRACT Learners’ perceived authenticity is related to the design of a learning setting and learning outcomes such as maintained situational interest (MSI). Further, perceived authenticity can be conceptually linked to inquiry-based instruction (IBI) as a design element of learning settings. This study investigates students’ perceived authenticity and MSI under two conditions: high and low IBI. Under low IBI, learners were asked to reproduce a standard operation procedure, while high IBI included a research question and an investigation with reaction temperature as the independent variable. The sample comprised n = 263 high school students (age M = 16.48 years) for the two conditions: n(high) = 157 and n(low) = 106. Data were collected via a questionnaire with multidimensional perceived authenticity (location, instructors, methods, and innovation) and MSI (emotional, value-related, and epistemic) scales. The results revealed a higher perceived innovation and an unexpectedly lower MSI for learners under the high IBI condition. Still, a higher perceived innovation led to a positive indirect effect on MSI. This complex relationship between IBI, perceived innovation, and MSI can inform the design of science education practices and leads to questions about further mediating factors between IBI design and learners’ MSI.

Purpose This study explores how youth establish personal relevance with data within a data-art inquiry program. To be specific, this study aims to use the Personal Data Relevance (PDR) framework, adapted from Priniski et al.’s (2018) personally meaningful learning framework, to examine how youth’s engagement with data topics, data sets and data products contributes to meaningful data science learning. Design/methodology/approach The PDR framework is the main framework for understanding personal data relevance in this study. The authors implemented a data-art inquiry program with 16 high school participants in a rural high school setting in East Tennessee. The data included youth-generated data visualizations and transcripts from group interviews, and the analysis involved a qualitative approach combining deductive and inductive coding. Findings Youth’s personal connections with data are through three key dimensions of the PDR framework: Personal Data Association, Personal Data Usefulness and Personal Data Identification. The findings reveal that participants were most engaged with data topics reflecting personal experiences, that they were able to develop situational interest in data in the program, and that their final data visualizations provided a medium for expressing social values and identity. Research limitations/implications This study’s findings may be context-specific due to the structured sequential nature of the data-art inquiry program. Future research could explore the PDR framework’s applicability in varied instructional designs and investigate interactions among the PDR dimensions more deeply. Practical implications Educators designing data science curricula should explicitly incorporate opportunities for youth to select personally relevant data topics, actively engage in data set exploration and reflect on the social implications of their data products to enhance data engagement and data science learning. Social implications Encouraging youth to find personal relevance in data can foster deeper engagement with data-based societal issues, which can promote informed and active participation in public discourse through data literacy. Originality/value This study introduces the PDR framework, providing a structured approach for analyzing and designing data science programs that emphasize youth’s personally meaningful connections with data. This study contributes uniquely to the field by explicitly linking personal relevance to interdisciplinary data-art inquiry contexts.

Perceived social support is considered essential for enhancing the inner academic motivational resources of students, in particular motivational self-regulation. We aimed to examine the possible associative mediation of motivational regulation strategies in the relationship between perceived support from family and teachers and academic achievement. A convenience sample of secondary education students was recruited. The students were asked to complete self-report questionnaires on perceived social support and motivational self-regulation strategies, and their academic grades were also recorded. Mediation regression analysis was used to test the mediation model proposed in the study. Three motivational regulation strategies mediated the relationship between perceived support and academic achievement: work-avoidance self-talk, self-efficacy enhancement, and enhancement of situational interest. Different support provisions were found to have cumulative positive and negative associations with the strategies. The findings suggest that perceived social support is associated with more autonomous forms of motivational regulation and lower levels of work-avoidance among students.

The promise of game-based learning relies on the assumption that games provide more engaging learning experiences than conventional instructional methods. The effects of playing a mobile health literacy game were compared with reading digital text material on situational interest, epistemic emotions, and satisfaction. A total of 251 Finnish high- and middle-school students were assigned one of two conditions: the mobile game or digital text condition. The mobile game condition played the Antidote COVID-19 game, while the digital text condition read the same health-related content. Situational interest increased significantly more in the mobile game condition than in the digital text condition. The game also induced more surprise, enjoyment, and confusion, and less boredom than the text material. Lastly, the mobile game condition showed higher satisfaction with the learning material. These findings suggest that game-based learning is more interesting and emotionally engaging than reading digital text, evoking stronger interest and epistemic emotions relevant to learning.

Among the wide range of studies investigating sources of situational interest in text-based and classroom-based contexts, two strands of findings seem to have emerged: intrigue and knowledge gap. However, the effectiveness of these two types of triggers has not been extensively examined, particularly for the reading context in the field of second language reading. Therefore, this study uses a quasi-experimental method to compare the effectiveness of different types of pre-reading questions that are designed based on features drawn from intrigue and non-intrigue, with the condition of no pre-reading questions in arousing situational interest in text reading among English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. Their effects on reading task performance were also examined. A total of 89 EFL learners were divided into three groups: intrigue question group, non-intrigue question group and a no-question group. The results indicated that intrigue questions were more effective in triggering situational interest compared to non-intrigue questions in this single-session context. However, the aroused interest did not significantly influence the L2 reading task performance. Given the exploratory nature of this study and its methodological limitations, these preliminary findings suggest that intrigue features may play a role in triggering situational interest in L2 reading. Pedagogical recommendations for optimizing pre-reading and other steps of reading activities in L2 contexts are provided.

Effect of Students’ Metacognitive Self-Regulation and Situational Interest on Conceptual Change in Electric Circuits

Impact of a poultry education program on elementary students' knowledge and interest.

Attending a lecture requires remaining focused for extended periods, which is particularly difficult in noisy environments or when lecture content is less engaging. Yet little is known about how these external (noise) and internal (interest) factors affect learners’ neurophysiology. We measured brain activity (electroencephalogram; EEG) and physiological responses (skin conductance) during video-based learning, and assessed how neurophysiological responses were modulated by the presence of realistic background noise and by varying levels of interest throughout the lecture. Interest-level showed pronounced neurophysiological effects, with low-interest segments associated with reduced neural speech tracking, elevated alpha-power, reduced beta-power, and increased arousal, a pattern consistent with lower engagement and increased listening effort. Interestingly, background noise had comparatively limited effects on neurophysiological responses. These dissociated impacts of internal and external factors on speech processing during learning, emphasize the profound impact of content-engagement on neurophysiological measures associated with learner’s attention, beyond the sensory burden of noise.

In a context where teaching electrochemistry concepts requires pedagogical approaches capable of fostering student understanding and supporting their situational interest, this study aimed to examine the effect of teaching based on numerical simulation on students’ situational interest and academic performance. It involved 1,020 secondary school students. The sample was divided into an experimental group and a control group. A pre-test and a post-test were administered to assess the impact of this intervention on student performance. The main results are: a comparison of the pre-test and post-test results showed a significant improvement in the mean scores of the experimental group compared to the control group. A Student’s t-test for independent samples revealed a significant difference between the two groups, t(1018) = 2.643, p = 0.008, indicating that the experimental group achieved significantly greater improvements than the control group. A comparison of incorrect answers between the two groups revealed a decrease in misconceptions in the experimental group. The IS2G scale was used to measure situational interest. A mixed-variance analysis revealed a significant interaction effect between time and group, F(1) = 27.11, p ≤ 0.001, and η 2 p = 0.026. This indicates that the use of simulation led to increased interest among the students who participated in this intervention. In conclusion, the use of interactive numerical simulations represents a promising approach to facilitate the learning of electrochemistry and stimulate student interest.

ABSTRACT Background Climate change education is inherently challenging and demands innovative pedagogical strategies. Student interest and effort are essential for sustained engagement, especially when tackling complex topics like climate change. Purpose This study investigates how different instructional activities and collaborative tasks influence upper secondary students’ situational interest and effort in a climate change education learning module. It also examines the alignment between student-reported and teacher-reported instructional activities. Sample Data were collected from 206 upper secondary students in Southern Finland, divided into nine groups and taught by four teachers. Design and methods A five-lesson physics learning module on energy production and climate change mitigation was co-designed with teachers and implemented in classrooms. Students reported their current activity, situational interest, and effort using the Experience Sampling Method (ESM). Teachers recorded notes on instructional activities for the same periods. Results Different collaborative tasks of the learning module did not predict situational interest but did predict effort. Brainstorming and group work together positively predicted situational interest, while group work and working with data positively predicted effort. Instructional conversation, however, negatively predicted effort. Student and teacher reports of instructional activities showed a high level of alignment. Conclusion The findings highlight how specific instructional activities contribute differently to student situational interest and effort, offering practical insights for lesson planning in physics and climate change education. Either student or teacher activity reports may be sufficient for capturing classroom dynamics.

Validation of a French Version of the Situational Interest Survey for Physics

While environmental education programmes have been shown to be effective in increasing knowledge and pro-environmental behaviour, it is not clear what characteristics of the intervention contribute to these outcomes. Detailed evaluations are needed to assess intermediary outcomes of such programmes to clarify the pathways to change. In this study, primary school children were asked to take photos while participating in a nature connection programme and later interviewed about those photos (N = 14). This photo-elicitation method explored which parts of the programme drew their situational interest, how they connected to nature, and how they felt while participating. Results indicated that the participating children were most interested in animals and connected to nature in a variety of ways, with emotional and sensory experiences being most important. Children mostly experienced positive emotions during programme participation. These results can inform the design of environmental education programmes to more effectively foster children’s interest and nature connection.

Purpose: This study examines the impact of video use in three different formats: continuous playback without interruption,self-paced control, and feedback-based format, on situational interest, self-efficacy, and the development of tactical knowledgein handball among students in physical education.Methods: Sixty secondary school students, (age 14.47±0.44 years) were divided into three groups of 20 students each, with10 girls and 10 boys per group: The Continuous Video Group (CVG; n=20), the Video Control Group (CTR; n= 20), and theVideo Feedback Group (VFB; n=20). Students viewed a handball video scenario and then completed recall and transfer tests,as well as situational interest and self-efficacy questionnaires.Results: Non-parametric analyses (Mann-Whitney U tests) showed that the Video Control Group had significantly betterrecall than the Video Continuous (U= 52, P< .001) and Video Feedback groups (U= 71.5, P< .001). For transfer and efficacytests, both the Control and Feedback groups outperformed the Continuous group (transfer: U=4 7, P< .001; U= 73, P< .001;efficacy: U=118.5, P= .026; U= 110, P= .014). Situational interest was significantly higher in the Continuous group comparedto the Feedback group (P= .027), suggesting continuous video exposure elicits greater interest than delayed feedback.Conclusions: These results suggest that, although the continuous reading group demonstrated higher situational interest, theirmemorization and transfer performance was lower than that of the groups using video control or video feedback. Therefore,video control and video feedback appear to promote both self-efficacy and performance. Therefore, to optimize results, the useof these teaching tools should be progressively structured and adapted to the cognitive abilities of physical education students.

Abstract In this contribution, we present a 45-minute instructional intervention focused on thermal conductivity, along with initial research findings from its implementation with Czech lower-secondary students. The core of the intervention was an experimental sequence designed for small-group work, developed in two versions to align with different instructional approaches: one version involved practical work using thermal imaging cameras, while the other utilized animation-based learning. To evaluate the effect of these sequences, we conducted a study with over 250 eighth-grade students from four elementary schools. To assess potential shifts in their understanding of physics concepts, we prepared a short multiple-choice test based on the Thermal Concept Evaluation questionnaire. Students completed this test as a pre-test at the beginning of the intervention and again as a post-test after a delay of 3 to 4 weeks. In addition, immediately after the intervention, students filled out a brief questionnaire based on the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory, aimed at measuring their situational interest in the activity. In the presentation, we will introduce the instructional sequences and share our initial research findings.

This practice-oriented study explores the integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) into the design of immersive, scenario-based environments for university physical fitness education. We developed and implemented the GAI-driven Situational Creation for Fitness (GAI-SCF) model—a structured framework that leverages narrative and multimodal content generation to enhance spatial and experiential engagement in physical activity settings. Over a 12-week semester, 120 students participated in a mixed-methods study, with an experimental group (n=60) experiencing the GAI-SCF model and a control group (n=60) receiving traditional instruction. The intervention followed a four phase cycle (Analysis, Generation, Implementation, Evaluation), using a GAI platform to create personalized, thematic workout environments (e.g., “Cybernetic Rhythm Battle,” “Eco-System Rescue Mission”). Quantitative results showed that the experimental group achieved significantly greater improvements in skill performance (F(1, 117) = 28.74, p < .001, η² = .20), reported higher situational interest (t(118) = 3.89, p < .001, d = 0.71), and exhibited stronger learning motivation (t(118) = 4.56, p < .001, d = 0.83). Qualitative analysis revealed that the model fostered novel, autonomous, and socially connective learning atmospheres, effectively transforming the gym into a dynamic narrative space. This paper presents the GAI-SCF model as a replicable design framework for educators and designers seeking to use GAI to reimagine physical education environments as adaptive, engaging, and architecturally responsive experiences.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a self-developed Tablet Interactive Response System (IRS), integrated with feedback and signaling, on university students’ situational interest and attention. The participants in this study were 98 students from two national universities in northern Taiwan. They were randomly assigned to one control group and two experimental groups. After using the Tablet IRS, Experimental Group I received Knowledge of Correct Response (KCR) feedback, Experimental Group II received signaling KCR feedback, and the control group received Knowledge of Results (KR) feedback. During the experiment, the brainwave data from 24 participants were collected to investigate the effects of the Tablet IRS on their attention. The results showed a significant improvement in situational interest of the students in Experimental Group II, who had particularly high scores in the two constructs of “exploration intention” and “novelty.” The students in Experimental Group I showed significant improvement only in the construct of “challenge.” The study suggests that an IRS with signaling is conducive to students’ classroom learning. Feedback signaling can be incorporated into instructional design to promote classroom learning in close alignment with curriculum objectives and learners’ proficiency levels.

BackgroundMeta-motivational strategies refer to the ability to monitor and adapt one’s motivational state to accomplish certain goals and are highly significant in medical students due to their unique educational environment. The utilization of such strategies has not been previously studied in Jordanian medical students.MethodsA cross-sectional design surveyed 409 students using the Meta-Motivational Strategies in Medical Students Questionnaire (MSMQ), assessing seven domains: regulation of value, environmental structuring, relatedness, promotional/preventional situational awareness, situational interest, and self-consequencing.ResultsKey findings revealed regulation of value and environmental structuring as dominant strategies, aligning with societal emphasis on education and adaptive responses to academic rigor. Male students scored significantly higher in regulation of relatedness (MD: -0.79, p < 0.05). Students living alone demonstrated stronger environmental structuring (MD: 1.16, p < 0.05) and self-consequencing (MD: 0.68, p = 0.024). Students who chose to enroll in medicine autonomously scored higher across most strategies (p < 0.05). Students who participated in research activities exhibited greater regulation of value and situational interest (p < 0.05). GPA disparities highlighted that high achievers (Excellent GPA) scored higher in regulation of value and environmental structuring (p < 0.05). No differences emerged between first-generation and non-first-generation students.ConclusionThese findings emphasize cultural, institutional, and psychological influences on meta-motivation; by bridging these gaps, educators can develop targeted interventions to foster adaptive meta-motivational strategies, ultimately supporting student well-being and success in medicine.

Abstract Green Chemistry (GC) offers new contexts for teaching established chemical concepts in chemistry education as well as fostering informed practice for navigating environmental challenges. However, there is a research gap regarding the integration of GC into educational contexts. Additionally, there is a lack of empirically validated teaching material and education programs for teachers. Our group addresses these challenges by developing, piloting and disseminating a teaching and learning sequence (TLS) on wood biorefineries using synergies from science education researchers, teachers and experts in the field of wood biorefinery. We introduce a TLS that was designed and piloted in two secondary classes ( N = 25). Students’ conceptions were evaluated using an association-mapping approach and situational interest was assessed using Likert-scale items. Throughout the measurement points, students’ associations with GC shifted from vague keywords to references aligned with the Principles of GC. Situational interest remained consistently high throughout the units. Our findings indicate a growth of conceptual knowledge about GC after the TLS. The constantly high situational interest highlights the need for research into motivational factors when teaching and learning about GC. Our contribution underscores the importance of collaborative efforts to develop and implement GC educational material, fostering scientific literacy and environmental responsibility among students.