Task-specific situational interest and appropriate learning strategy use in history lessons: A cross-classified multilevel analysis

Research indicates that situation-specific experiences during the learning process affect learner engagement and learning strategies. Learner and task characteristics also affect situational interest and the use of learning strategies. This study explores how diverse learners, faced with various tasks, experience task-specific situational interest and employ different cognitive learning strategies. Participants were 801 students from 30 classes across 19 secondary schools in Germany. This study spanned one academic year and focused on three instructional units in a history class. The participants were assigned 34 self-directed tasks. Learner characteristics were assessed at the beginning of the year, and task characteristics were retrospectively coded. Situational interest and the use of appropriate learning strategies were measured using pen-and-paper questionnaires. A cross-classified multilevel approach was used to analyse the data. Cross-classified path analysis showed that situational interest was influenced by learner characteristics (e.g. subject-related interest) and task characteristics (e.g. writing load or real-life connections). Situational interest significantly predicted the appropriate use of learning strategies, which varied across learners, tasks, and encounters. The findings emphasise the significance of adopting a situation-specific approach to understanding the use of learning strategies. Situational interest and the use of learning strategies are influenced not only by learner characteristics but also by task characteristics. • Task-specific approach to situational interest (SI) and learning strategy (LS) use. • Measurement of appropriate LS use. • Learner and task characteristics as predictors of SI. • SI as a predictor of appropriate LS use. • Task characteristics as a major source of SI and LS variance.