Elementary and Secondary Teachers' Reports of How They Make Learning Interesting

In this study I describe and interpret what teachers do to create interest in learning. A reflective writing procedure consisting of 4 interactive papers was used to gather data from 65 elementary and secondary teachers enrolled in a graduate course on constructivist teaching. The teachers' thoughts regarding interest revealed that the generation of interest is a major aspect of teaching. Hands-on activities are the primary way of establishing interest, although teachers also reported creating interest through the use of personalized content, student trust, and group tasks, and in other ways. Teachers reported that they rarely used content facts and concepts as a means to establish interest. A speculative explanation of the results based on teachers' views of content and the social realities of teaching is proposed.