The Relationship between Need for Cognition and Chemistry Learning Interest among Senior High School Students: A Chain Mediation Model of Chemistry Self-Efficacy and Self-Regulation

Chemistry learning interest plays a crucial role in sustaining students’ engagement with chemistry and supporting their long-term development in science learning. Need for cognition is regarded as an important intellectual investment trait that may be associated with students’ willingness to engage in effortful thinking and complex problem solving. Although previous studies have provided evidence for the association between need for cognition and academic interest, the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship in the context of chemistry education remain insufficiently examined. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the multiple mediating pathways involving chemistry self-efficacy and self-regulation in the relationship between need for cognition and chemistry learning interest. A multiple-mediation model was constructed by drawing on intellectual investment theory and social cognitive theory, with Social Cognitive Career Theory specifically informing the self-efficacy–interest pathway and research on interest development informing the conceptualization of interest. Data were collected from grade 10 students in China (N = 3,431) using scales to measure need for cognition, chemistry learning interest, chemistry self-efficacy, and self-regulation. The results indicated that (1) need for cognition was significantly and positively associated with students’ chemistry learning interest; (2) chemistry self-efficacy showed a significant indirect effect in the association between need for cognition and chemistry learning interest; (3) self-regulation also showed a significant indirect effect in this association; and (4) need for cognition was indirectly associated with chemistry learning interest through a sequential mediation path involving chemistry self-efficacy and self-regulation. This study provides evidence for a theoretically plausible pattern of associations linking need for cognition to chemistry learning interest through capability beliefs and learning-regulation processes, contributing to a more integrated understanding of the relationship between students’ cognitive-motivational dispositions and domain-specific interest.Finally, the study provides pedagogical implications for supporting students’ chemistry learning interest by attending to cognitive engagement, chemistry self-efficacy, and self-regulated learning.