TABLE 3.

Commonly referenced definitions of interest in the biology education literature

Number of papers citing	Foundational publication	Definition of interest
21	Hidi, S., and Renninger, K. A. (2006). The four-phase model of interest development. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 111–127. doi:10.1207/s15326985ep4102_4	Interest is described most simply as a relationship between a person and an object. Interest comprises both cognitive and affective dimensions.Interest exists in two forms: situational and individual.Situational interest is external and appears suddenly as a response to something in the environment.Individual interest is internal and stable. It develops gradually and becomes a long-lasting preference for a topic that is also described as an enduring predisposition to reengage with particular content.
6	Schiefele, U. (1991). Interest, learning, and motivation. Educational Psychologist, 26(3–4), 299–323. doi:10.1080/00461520.1991.9653136	“Individual interest is interpreted here as the relatively long-term orientation of an individual toward a type of object, an activity, or an area of knowledge” (p. 302). It consists of three valences: 1) a feeling-related valence, which refers to the feelings that are associated with a topic or an object; 2) a value-related valence, which refers to the attribution of personal significance to an object; and 3) ­intrinsic character, which means that the person is involved in a topic for its own sake and not for any external reason.
4	Gardner, P. L., and Tamir, P. (1989). Interest in biology. Part I: A multidimensional construct. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 26(5), 409–423. doi:10.1002/tea.3660260506	Interest may be regarded as a predisposition or trait, and it can also be regarded as an emotional feeling or state. “The term ‘interest’ usually refers to a preference to engage in some types of activities rather than others. An interest may be regarded as a highly specific type of attitude: When we are interested in a particular phenomenon or activity, we are favorably inclined to attend to it and give time to it” (p. 410).
4	Ryan, R. M., and Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68	Interest is a form of “intrinsic motivation” and a core affect of the self, which refers to doing something because it is inherently interesting or enjoyable. Intrinsic motivation is seen when a person displays a behavior because of internal emotions, such as pleasure or interest.
2	Csikszentmihalyi, M., and Hemanson, K. (1995). Intrinsic motivation in museums: Why does one want to learn? Public Institutions for Personal Learning, 74(34), 67–75.	Interest refers to a differential likelihood of investing energy in one set of stimuli rather than another. The experience of being interested has been characterized as an optimal state that combines positive affective qualities (e.g., feelings of immediate enjoyment, good moods, etc.) and positive cognitive qualities (e.g., striving for meaningful goals, relevance, etc.).