Attempting to Develop Secondary Student’s Interest for Science and Technology Through an In-Service Teacher Training Initiative Based on the Principles of the Learning Community

Abstract

This article presents the results of a quasi-experimental research that has been conducted by the (Infrastructure of the authors) for two years. This research aimed at increasing student’s interest for science and technology (ST) by enhanced pedagogical interventions, designed by their teachers in the context of a learning community. It also aimed at measuring this possible increase. Results show that three of the four intervention types (scientific inquiry, context-based and project-based learning) had positive effects of various strengths on students’ interest, but that collaborative teaching did not. Hypotheses to explain these results and recommendations are formulated.

Keywords

• interest; science and technology; learning community; scientific inquiry; context-based learning; collaborative teaching; project-based learning