Formålet med denne undersøgelse var at undersøge sjetteklasseselevers interesser i forbindelse med deltagelse i et Naturfagsmaraton. Elevernes interesser blev undersøgt vha. et mixed-method design. Interesse blev stimuleret af fire forhold: designe/opfinde, usystematisk prøven sig frem, funktionalitet og samarbejde. Disse forhold rummer forskellige variable såsom nyt, autonomi, social interaktion, selvstimulering og målorientering. Undersøgelsen viser at Naturfagsmaratonopgaver stimulerer elevers interesse, men kun i det omfang eleverne selv er i stand til at selvregulere deres læringsstrategier. The aim of the present study was to investigate task-based situational interest of sixth grade students during a Naturfagsmaraton. Students’ interests were investigated by a mixed-method design. Four main sources of interest were found: designing inventions, trial-and-error experimentation, achieved functionality of invention, and collaboration. These sources differ in terms of stimuli factors, such as novelty, autonomy (choice), social involvement, self-generation of interest and task goal orientation. The study shows that design tasks stimulated interest, but only to the extent that students were able to self-regulate their learning strategies.
