Searching for long-term reciprocal effects between achievement and interest in cooperative education programme

Evidence for the ordering of the effect between interest and achievement remains an unresolved issue. Previous studies in this field predominantly rely on data from school contexts and STEM disciplines. The aim of this research is to analyse reciprocal effects between subject interest and achievement, focusing on long-term effects among students in higher education programmes. Data is used from a three-year longitudinal design with three annual measurements, based on cooperative education, involving 1828 participants. A random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used to test hypotheses. The analyses reveal positive reciprocal effects across subsequent time lags: from achievement to subject interest, and then from subject interest to achievement. However, these effects are not consistent and depend on specific conditions, including time-dependent factors, such as the phase of the study programme. Further research using other study formats and research designs is necessary to examine the robustness of the results. • A threeyear longitudinal design was used to elaborate ordering effects between interest and achievement. • The reciprocal effects seem to be valid only for specific study phases. • The research question is analysed in the less researched population of cooperative students.