History-based instruction enriched with various sources of situational interest on the topic of the atom: the effect on students' achievement and interest

Abstract

This study examines the effect of history-based instruction on the topic of the atom on students' academic achievement and their interest in the history of science, investigating as well the relationship between student interest and academic achievement. The sample of the study consisted of two groups of freshman students from an undergraduate elementary science teachers program. The same chemistry instructor taught the groups, which were randomly assigned as an experimental and a control group. The students in the control group received traditional teacher-centered instruction, while the experimental group students were taught the topic of the atom using history-based instruction enriched with various sources of situational interest such as novelty, autonomy, social involvement, and knowledge acquisition (NASK). Data gathering instruments were the Atom Achievement Test and the History of Science Interest Scale, administered to both of the groups before and after the instruction. The data were analyzed with the independent-samples t test, the paired-samples t test, and one-way ANCOVA statistical analysis. The results showed that the history-based instruction including NASK was more effective than traditional instruction in improving the students' learning of the subject of the atom as well as in stimulating and improving students' interest in the history of science. Further, students with high interest displayed significantly better achievement than students with low interest. The better learning of the topic of the atom was more pronounced in the case of students with a high interest in the history of science compared to students with moderate or low interest.