Teachers' impact on students' science interest: a longitudinal study through junior high school

Declining student interest in school science has been linked to a crisis in school science education and there has been a call to reconsider the way science is presented in schools (Tytler, 2007). Once students lose interest in science it is difficult to turn this around (Lindahl, 2003); therefore maintaining student interest and positive attitudes towards science is significant. A number of studies looking at student interest in science have demonstrated that this interest is influenced by the perception of how the subject is presented and taught, as well as the lesson content (Krapp & Prenzel, 2011). Logan and Skamp (2013) reported on the science interest scores of a group of 14 Australian students across the junior years of high school (Years 7-10) and provided insight from the students’ perspective of their classroom experiences and the role of their teachers. This study addressed a need in . . .