Students’ Involvement and Interest in Teaching

Students’ low interest and superficial involvement in teaching are becoming increasingly problematic for teachers and students. With this research, we examined students’ attitudes. We determined whether today’s teaching, in addition to the outcomes foreseen in the curriculum, develops students’ competencies and how interested and involved students are in teaching. The research aimed to identify and determine students’ involvement in teaching, examine their emotional, cognitive, and social competencies, and check whether there are differences concerning interest in teaching chemistry and socio-pedagogical characteristics of students (gender, age, and school performance). The research sample included elementary school students from the territory of the city of Novi Grad. The results of the conducted research showed a significant connection between the interest and involvement of students in chemistry classes and the involvement of students in teaching in general, especially at the cognitive level. Students like to observe but also perform chemical experiments, ask questions, and apply the knowledge they learned daily. In this way, they consolidate and improve their knowledge, improve practical skills, and promote the development of interest in chemistry classes. Understanding the interplay of different dimensions of involvement can enable the design of better programs to encourage the involvement and interest of students in chemistry classes.