Four Phases of Interest Development 3/24/2017 Four Phases of Interest Development Steve Black Associate University Librarian Colgate University

Four Phases Triggered situational interest Maintained situational interest Emerging personal interest Well-developed personal interest K. Ann Renninger and Suzanne E. Hidi, The Power of Interest for Motivation and Engagement. New York: Routledge, 2016.

Triggered Situational Interest Definition: Psychological state resulting from short-term changes in cognitive and affective processing associated with a topic. Students in this phase are likely to: Express that the topic or assignment is new and unfamiliar Show evidence they are just beginning to work on the task Display confusion or uncertainty about what is required

Triggered Situational Interest Appropriate responses in reference and instruction for students in this phase: Acknowledge that the task is challenging Keep instructions as simple as possible Limit the number of suggestions for how to proceed

Maintained Situational Interest Definition: Psychological state that involves focused attention on a topic over time. Students in this phase: Show evidence of having done some work on the task Express willingness to focus attention over a period of time

Maintained Situational Interest Appropriate responses in reference and instruction for students in this phase: Express appreciation for the work accomplished so far Make concrete suggestions for making further progress Encourage effort to explore one’s own ideas

Emerging Personal Interest Definition: Psychological state and the beginning of a relatively enduring predisposition to seek reengagement with a topic over time. Students in this phase: Express personal interest in and enthusiasm for the topic Display some background knowledge Begin to have curiosity questions beyond what is required by assignment(s) May diverge from course requirements

Emerging Personal Interest Appropriate responses in reference and instruction for students in this phase: Listen to and express respect for personal ideas and goals Help student formulate and articulate personal learning goals Minimize criticism of effort exerted so far

Well-developed Personal Interest Definition: Psychological state and a relatively enduring predisposition to reengage with a topic over time. Students in this phase: Show evidence of having worked on the topic for an extended time Persevere to answer curiosity questions Display significant background knowledge on the topic

Well-developed Personal Interest Appropriate responses in reference and instruction for students in this phase: • Provide help geared to achieving a sophisticated level of information literacy • Constructively critique research strategies • Describe advanced search techniques

When’s a time your help matched the phase of interest development? Your experience? Δ When could’ve knowing the phase have improved your reference or instruction? + When’s a time your help matched the phase of interest development?

Associate University Librarian Thank You Steve Black Associate University Librarian Colgate University 13 Oak Drive Hamilton, NY 13346 seblack@colgate.edu This presentation is an extension of the first in an ongoing series on educational psychology for academic librarians: Steve Black and James D. Allen (2017). Insights from Educational Psychology Part 1: Foster Intrinsic Motivation. Reference Librarian, 58(1), 91-105. doi:10.1080/02763877.2016.1200515