INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES AND INTEREST IN SCIENCE LEARNING FOR ADOLESCENT STUDENTS IN JAPAN AND THE UNITED STATES: FINDINGS FROM THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE STUDY (TIMSS).

An important facet of effective instructional design is the consideration of the effects of learning activities on student motivation. Several innovative instructional programs have been designed to foster student interest in science. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between several types of instructional strategies and interest in science for adolescent students from two countries (Japan and the United States). Students included in this study were from the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Population 2 International Samples (13-year-olds). A number of instructional strategies were examined and variance estimation techniques for complex sampling designs were employed. Several teaching activities used when introducing new science topics and in typical science lessons were significantly associated with student enjoyment for learning science. Cooperative learning activities for both instructional conditions were significantly associated with student enjoyment for learning science. These results were consistent with previous findings on the motivational effects of specific instructional practices for science learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]