Interest in statistics: Examining the effects of individual and situational characteristics differences

Statistic lessons are often considered difficult and unpleasant. One reason for this is that many learners do not find statistics intrinsically interesting and engaging. Nevertheless, interest in a particular teaching session does not only depend on the characteristics of learners, but also on the characteristics of the session itself. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between learner’s characteristics (i.e., individual interest and intrinsic motivation) and situational interest. Participants were university students who participated in a tutorial activity. The results provided support for a moderated mediation model which showed that the relationship between individul and situational interest was dependent both on students’ intrinsic motivation and the perceived appeal of the activity. The discussion underlines the importance of the interaction between individual and situational factors in the process of teaching statistics.