Intertwined Development of Interest Pursuits

Abstract

Whereas interest research has long focused on one specific interest within one context (e.g. mathematics interest in class), students pursue multiple interests in parallel. As such, development of interest pursuits can become intertwined. The current study explores such intertwined developments by using a qualitative ESM smartphone application and interviews with 30 students (aged 14-25 years) in different educational programs. Analysis of the interviews shows three main intertwined developments: 1) object genesis, where one interest develops out of another, 2) parallel engagement, i.e. two interests co-occur or their engagement is mediated by similar skills or knowledge, and 3) related meaning-making, i.e. two interests have a similar meaning or gain meaning in relation to each other. Whereas interest theory typically speaks of interest development as a process of deepening of a single interest, the results of the current study reveal how interest development can also reflect broadening and connecting of multiple interests.