Much damage has been caused by cyclones, typhoons, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. But scientists have been studying these phenomena and come up with better ways to prevent loss of lives. Does curiosity about science phenomena motivate your students/ children to study science? Please share your experiences.

Curiosity is the underline concept e.g. in Philosophy. So stimulating interest and curiosity should be the basis for a good teaching.

Yes, I think that stimulating interest and curiosity in science do increase student motivation to learn science. In addition to that, the need to increase knowledge and improve skills are also motivators for learning.

Yes, especially when it is related to real life issues. its a good thing about Biology, we can touch their hearts by just telling them the 'what if' questions in relation to their body and inner environment. They will definitely stop and listen. That's when we start delivering the lessons of the day ;). (Like a magician hypnotizing!)

Good answer. I agree with you completely! Thank you

Agreed,

Curiosity and stimulating interest brings majority of students in science

Dear Miranda,

Without proper abilities, a given base interest and curiosity of students a teacher cannot but burnout himself/herself. Without balanced education facilities the efforts and good intention of a teacher will not harvest success.

Stimulating interest and curiosity definitely motivates young science aspirants in school level but how to stimulate and help growing curiosity among students is a challenging issue. Neither all students are equally inspired and become motivated for science education nor all teachers are equally effective imparting the message to the students.

Before we consider students' issue better consider the teachers issue first.

DO WE REALLY CARE ENOUGH CHOOSING GREAT TEACHERS FOR SCHOOL AND DO WE PAY THEM WELL TO KEEP THEM MOTIVATED FOR BETTER TEACHING?

DO WE REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE THEM AND TAKE ADEQUATE MEASURES TO KEEP THEM IN THE PROFESSION FOR THE SAKE OF OUR OWN FUTURE CITIZENS?

One of my colleagues wife was a physics teacher in a high school in UK, and my colleague had taught ocular pharmacology in four continents. He told me that UK is probably only one place where school teachers enjoy salaries comparable to university teachers with other benefits. In India for past few years the situations have changed little bit and good students are now regaining some interest to take school teaching as profession. Even in USA school teachers are poorly paid and thus teaching at school is not an attractive choice.

From my personal point of view. I was a very curious and interested child, doing experiments with current with my own body, to find out, what electricity is (you see I survived). So I´m convinced, the permanent curiosity is the essential and imperative base to learn and to develop to a scientist. But like András pointed it out, the young students also need education, diligence and talent.

Thanks for your views. I can't upvote now from my mobile, but I will later on. Fatimah, Mahfuz et al. Thanks for various things that strike you, when you read my question :)

Sent from mobile.

Absolutely!

Curiosity and/or interest may be (some of) the biggest drivers and/or motivators of academic and/or intellectual advancement and/or development!

Period!

Dear Hanno,

Unfortunately, you are not one of my students! Ich bedauere das wirklich!

Dear András,

be happy that I´m not. Ich war sehr anstrengend.

Fundamental research is also called curiosity-driven (or based) research. That tells a lot.

Stimulating interests among students is very difficult, considering that this is mass education age. Some students come under the pressure of parents and job market and they are not interested in the subject at all.

I takes much thought and effort to come up with ideas and actions that woul stimulate interests.

Dear Miranda, This is my constant work on developing the curiosity within my field of teaching or researching. You are asking also, If facts show student's growing motivation to learn social sciences? It is difficult to answer right now. Maybe if some of my seminar students will enter 3rd degree study, I'll tell more.

Absolutely. Curiosity is the most basic tool of any research. Allways try to ask good questions and define problems before "running" for answers.

Cheers,

JP

When we are teaching natural events( or for example human anatomy )its better that we mention to the reason or reasons that a structure exists for .It stimulates interest of students for finding the reasons.

Dear Miranda

Stimulating interest in science could be attained by involving students in inquiry-based activities. This stimulation may increase the INTRINSIC motivation to learn science.

Consider flow-experience in teachers. In some instance if teachers are completely involved and fully into their topic they might trigger even flow in their students. From a certain point of view this could be the utmost encouragement or intrinsic motivation. And it is "implanted" not solely through doing sort of "wild exploration", but through some external or teacher enthusiasm. As for my opinion one should disentangle interest and intrinsic motivation and find flow-experience as an outcome variable in students. My opinion is that one should not focus on curiosity increase, but on cognitive involvement in the task. That is a difference, I think.

Yet, I think research on flow still needs to be done. E.g. students might not like over-enthusiastic teachers. And does the "jump over" really work?

Dear friends, thanks for your views. Yes, stimulating curiousity and interest has everything to do with intrinsic motivation, that hopefully leads to lifelong learning, and building up lifelong learners. I will respond more fully from my laptop tomorrow. I bought a 4G device, but I can't get reception here at home. At times, my mobile data is moving at E, sad...

Sent from mobile.

Talking from my own experience, students involve more actively in the class on topics that they are interested and curious in. Students showed efforts to look for more information by surfing internet or going to library after class without being told to do so. I find that active learning is more effective in stimulating curiosity and interest.

Dear Prof Kamal, now I'm at the college apartment the 4G Huddle is working just fine. But at home, it's not doing anything!! On my phone, sometimes, the mobile internet is moving at E. So I get back to college to do my work. Mobile internet gets to H+ at college.

Dear LCC, the question is mainly about stimulating interest in tsunami or lightning etc. Will that increase motivation to learn science? What do you think?

Yes. The answer is definite. Students are more interested in things that are related to them, happen around them. I think not just science phenomenon like tsunami or lightning, but also other events, such as how does bacteria cause disease in human, how does a medication reduce pain/ disease, etc. The students get motivated when they think that what they learn help them to understand their surrounding or even their life better.

Thanks LCC and Prof Kamal. When students know the things they need to learn are of great value to them, they will be motivated! Thanks. Today I will be busy reading, writing, and less of blogging.

To learn anything, curiosity is most important. The curiosity of knowing the facts, theories and principles behind working of any gadget or any machine used in their day to day life motivates them, encourages them and involves them more to learn science.

Regards,

Nitish

Thanks Nitish.

Somehow, 'curiosity' has become a scarce quality. You say: 'curiosity is most important. The curiosity of knowing the facts, theories and principles behind working of any gadget or any machine used in their day to day life motivates them, encourages them and involves them more to learn science.

See this thread, that I attach, thanks.

https://www.researchgate.net/post/What_has_happened_to_the_natural_curiosity_of_students

Hello friends, our good friend, Lijo, has won the award for his poster at the recent conference in Cyprus. Today, he travels back to King Saud University.

So it pays to be interested in science and curious about science phenomena :)

Leading by example is the best teacher!

Enthusiasm is contagious and/or infectious!

Period!

Dear Tobias,

I love these infections! ;-))

Yes dear friends. Enthusiasm breeds ENTHUSIASM, it's a cascade reaction :))

I wrote in my humanistic conception "City of Masters" (!993-2000) the following poetic rhymes,

A creator creates a creator,

A humanist creates a humanist,

A robot can't breed a personality,

An authoritarian mentor is able to break a fate of a talented person...

We have got "Lomonosov's Reading" in our Lyceum- it's a parade of student's scientific works and IT presentations. Besides, our students participate in the scientific conferences "Scientific association of students" in VSU (university). I try to involve them in international competitions through the Internet. Surely, they know about my publications and perspectives. They like to discuss my own experience, share my love to learning, like to listen to my stories about conferences. They dream to go with me.

When we teach science in a remote context of our everyday reality, many students lose interest. And if we do not have that motivation, all the effort and teacher preparation in vain. It is crucial, therefore, to highlight the importance of science and its role in the lives of students. Our students also need evidence to show the real scope and limitations of science and scientists. To achieve the latter two is nothing better than to have the cooperation of the researchers and engineers goals.

I remember on one occasion participated invited by the primary school teacher my child to explain what makes a plant pathologist and the boys took a microscope to observe microscopic structures of fungi from plants. Students were very motivated by the lesson.

Teachers and the scientific community play an important role in the promotion and recognition of science among young people by stimulating their interest and motivation for this field. We can encourage practitioners of science and technology to support learning science at school.

Thanks for your posts.  I have been busy and not very alert.

Great @ Irina, for infecting students with interest, involving students in international competitions and discussing with them about your conferences. 

Thanks @Gonzalo.  I'm sure that even parents and teachers who want to create interest in science are willing to invest time and effort to allow children use a microscope.  I believe that was how Frank (on RG) was motivated to become a scientist.

And I believe that there are many more interesting Science experiments, to teach children the importance of forming theories, making careful observations, and drawing sound conclusions, that require simple equipment that can be found in any home or classroom.

Dear @Miranda, yes, stimulating interest and curiosity in science phenomenon increase student motivation to learn science! Here are some examples from my country thanking to Center for the Promotion of Science! 

http://www.cpn.rs/?lang=en

http://www.wired.com/2011/12/augmented-reality-liveviewstudio-belgrade-science-fair/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6WZbNWp-nY

Thanks indeed, Prof Ljubomir.  Here in my country, interest in science is really low, and mainly external motivation.  So I have a tough time teaching my students, motivating them.  That's what I'm paid to do.  I will read the links, thanks.  (I appreciate all the resources you provide.  Serbia has human resource.  But here, we have a great biodiversity, good weather to work hard 365/365.)

Students’ motivation to engage in conceptual change learning in science is influenced by the teacher’s personality, the teacher’s low profile, the acceptability of the teacher by students, instructional strategies, and students’ goals. Three key aspects of students’ task engagement (self-initiated cognitive, cognitive, and behavioral engagement) were selected as the categories for determining the patterns of a student’s motivation to engage in learning science

http://www.ijsr.net/archive/v3i7/MDIwMTQ5ODQ=.pdf

1570-80; < Late Latin enthūsiasmus < Greek enthousiasmós, equivalent to enthousí (a) possession by a god ( énthous, variant of éntheos having a god within, equivalent to en- en-2+ -thous, -theos god-possessing + -ia y3) + -asmos, variant, after vowel stems, of -ismos -ism

I also believe that stimulating interest and curiosity in science phenomenon increase student motivation to learn science. Actually curiosity is the root of all learning including science.

Yes, thanks to all for your views.  @Vilemar, a good extraordinary but honest answer!  Such are the answers I like!  @Eraldo, Ajay, can you recall students who were outstanding in curiosity and how they performed?  I attach @Eraldo's related thread!

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Which_is_the_root_of_science_in_your_opinion/1

I have already made an answer to @Eraldo's thread my dear and careful @Miranda! You are a real colleague!

@Prof Ljubomir and all, actually I cannot claim to be careful and I do miss posts on RG, because of my many frequent interactions with students who come to see me quite often, and I go back to a thread after some time to upvote some answers, and get interrupted again, even just now.  SORRY.  So, please forgive this type of weakness!  (Give and it shall be given, forgive and we shall be forgiven!)

I have also made an answer to @Eraldo's thread.

Thanks dear friends.  Prof Eraldo's question is related to mine, and it's after mine, but it's not to downvoted by anyone here.  Do you agree that we can put up good posts that will be appreciated by others?  And not to downvote other researchers?  The way ahead is to build up, and not to tear down.  Thanks to all.  

In chemistry, this is frequently done. The scholar , during a lecture or a practical, will raise a question which attracts the attention of the students & causes great interest in them to find an answer (such as why milk is white, why honey comes in different colors, why diamond is the hardest known material, why a rubber band stretches easily & then returns back to its starting shape). Through the years, I found the students becoming activated & they will not settle down until they arrive at a convincing answer. During the search for an answer, they gain good knowledge from many angles around the question.

Dear @Miranda, as a Mathematician I always stimulate interest and curiosity of my students in Mathematics and in general in science phenomenon to increase their motivation to learn Mathematics.

Curiosity will definitely increase scientific interests. During my active service I always planed my lecture to induce students to ask questions. I also used to narrate theatm method of Sherlock Holmes. For example, classic incident of "Silver Blaze" in the horse was stolen just before a day of race. Holmes states ' Did you notice the curious behavior of the dogs?. Watson replied ' Dogs did nothing'. Holmes states" that is the curious behavior'. I also asked students students ' what was the curious behavior?' I found such example helped students to enjoy deductive learning.

Dear All, I have tried popularizing science in farming community youths and find that the points related to economic benefits motivated them to learn new scientific methods of cultivation. Thanks

Thanks dear Dr Nizar.  Yes, we practice PBL here in class and in project activity.  Last year, my students won a prize for their MUSANOL project.  We fermented banana skins, obtained the alcohol; and used that to cook frankfurters wrapped in Aluminium foil.  Musanol was coined to describe alcohol from banana skins.

@Mohamed, since scientific research is driven by curiosity as we agree, it means that we should stimulate more curiosity.  I think that many countries want to keep the scientific edge.  US will surely want to keep it's position, so would India, China, Finland etc.  (This question is related to my research in science motivation.  Some answers are really driving ideas into my mind.)

Dear @Sarwan, thanks for a good honest answer.  Indeed, 'popularizing science in farming community youths and find that the points related to economic benefits motivated them to learn new scientific methods of cultivation' because necessity is the mother of invention.  (I appreciate your answer; I'm from a poor family where our only wealth is knowledge, language and music.)

Thanks @dear Rasbindu Mehta.  Wonderful deductive reasoning.  And this is the happy ending of a story (below).  FRIENDS, I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR GOOD ANSWERS THAT DRIVE THE QUESTION AHEAD.  ON RG, it's the quality of questions and answers that are really important, not the quantity.  And I think RG will agree.  I have learned many things on RG, thanks to all.

'“You have explained all but one thing,” cried the Colonel. “Where was the horse?”

“Ah, it bolted, and was cared for by one of your neighbors. We must have an amnesty in that direction, I think. This is Clapham Junction, if I am not mistaken, and we shall be in Victoria in less than ten minutes. If you care to smoke a cigar in our rooms, Colonel, I shall be happy to give you any other details which might interest you.”

https://sherlock-holm.es/stories/pdf/a4/1-sided/silv.pdf

The ability to stimulate the curiosity of learners is an essential quality of the teacher ... everything else is boring ...

When you install curiosity in children, you are encouraging their desire to learn. That is one of the greatest gifts that you as an educator can give your students. That is very important issue as @lerardi have mentioned. 

In the following article, ten strategies that Foster Creativity in Students are given!

http://www.educationoasis.com/resources/Articles/fosteringcuriosity.htm

My Dear @ Miranda, I too belong the same poor family where knowledge is being considered only wealth. Regards

Thanks indeed @Enzo, Ljubomir.  Dear Enzo, I never knew what was the meaning of boring.  But now little kids are screaming out 'Boring', when they don't get what they want.  I'm not sure how they will persevere when things get tough.  (I'm happy Prof Kamal is back, but I still miss Prof Mahfuz.)

Thanks for a wonderful link, Prof Ljubomir.  You are always fishing them for many of us.  So like Vilemar, I hope we will all meet one day, and have a mental feast on all the goodies that you bring with you to the 'feast' (online feast).

'At the optimal level, a person enters the Zone of Curiosity characterized by exploration, excitement, and interest. Below the optimal level, the individual is unmotivated, disinterested, and inefficient. Beyond the optimal level, the individual enters a Zone of Anxiety with resulting behaviors including defensiveness, disinterest, avoidance, and inefficiency.'

@Miranda, I believe that you never knew what is boring, becauase your  gift of exercise your curiosity is innate. But it may be not always so for many teachers due to different reasons: lack of motivation, availability  towards the others, poor knowledge, personal interests and the list coul be continued. This generates "boring". 

Dear Enzo, you're quite right, I always know what I have to do each day, and what duty must be rendered and when.  In our family, it's always stressed, 'those who don't work shouldn't eat'; and don't just look out for our own needs but the needs of others in church and among my near neighbors.  There are always friends who need a visit at home, at the hospital; friends who need a lift to church, errands to run etc.

But my students who don't have these duties get bored.  They only need to study.  So either we are fruitful, busy or bored?

@ miranda, I think your self-criticism is exaggerated. We may be busy but also fruitful, our students needs to be stimulated by our teaching and our example. But when teaching and examplesa are poor, they become bored.

Dear Miranda,

I confirm dear Ieradi´s statement. Don´t forget, life is not only work and testing the own abilities. Try to behave some times like your laughing and smiling students in all the nice pictures I know from your answers.

Very true about life! Take some rest, have a joy, smile, enjoy! I have attached a fine movie trailer "Life is beautiful" for you dear @Miranda! La vita è bella!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64ZoO7oiN0s

Dear Hanno and all, thanks for good advice, that I should be enjoying myself more (from Hanno).  Yes, my students seem to laugh a lot, smile a lot.  But near the exams, they panic, complain and cry a bit too.  

Hanno, in this place, I must work hard, because I'm a minority.  The college didn't send me to teach in another college far from home, but my other Chinese friend was sent to teach in Labuan, on the island of Borneo.  If I'm productive, I will be able to continue to work here, just about 2 hour drive from my home.  (Thanks Prof Ljubomir for the video.  I attach a phenomenon.)

Dear @Miranda, You have raised my curiosity on black and white twins! Here is what I have found! The million-to-one!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2123050/Look-The-black-white-twins-turn-seven.html

Dear Prof Ljubomir, since you are just waiting to be a grandfather, it's time to start praying for healthy normal grandchildren.  (Wouldn't you be happy if your daughter has twins?  A normal birth is already a miracle though, so perhaps you will be happy enough to have grandchildren, one by one?)  The fair girl in your pic seems slightly bigger, do you agree?

I attach the traditional approach and inquiry based approach in using natural phenomema in science class. 

Dear @Miranda, I would like very much if my daughters get twins! :) God's will! I do know that I will be a good grandfather!

Dear Prof Ljubomir, I'm sure that you will be a great grandfather.  (And so will Enzo, Prof Kamal and our other friends.  I think Wolfgang is already a grandfather!)

I had a church friend who wanted to have twins, and she did.  But it was a Caesarean section birth, and to deliver both boys, the cut was about 8 inches.  Do you see the twin boys in this pic, at the right of the little girl and the mike?  They are wearing T-shirts with a black collar and some white and red stripes.  The children were presenting 'Silent Night' at Christmas.  (Sometimes we must be careful about the things we pray about.)

Dear @Miranda and friends, here is a fine example about IDEA place! "At the IDEA Place, our mission is to awaken the excitement of learning by doing in both children and adults. Central to our philosophy is the belief that real objects, direct experiences, and enjoyment promote learning. Children, their families, and their teachers are given the opportunity to study and investigate the wonders of the world around them through the interactive exploration of scientific phenomena. We believe that these experiences, along with more formal learning approaches, will stimulate curiosity, motivate further exploration, and increase appreciation and understanding in the area of science and mathematics." Wonderful story, watch the video and be patient about 23 s of advertisement! :)

http://www.myarklamiss.com/story/d/story/fun-with-the-idea-place/41442/xZVjVmdL40-kPOrOWIa3aw

Thanks so much Prof Ljubomir.  But I must inform you that my students' main problem is that they have been spoon fed at school, and they practice rote learning.  My old students recently informed me that there are even some universities here where lecturers seem to accept rote learning as the norm.  I encourage independent learning, collaborative learning and using strategies; and the better students will do as I ask and they improve.  Recently, 1 old student, now doing 2nd year Medicine came back, and encouraged me to continue facilitate independent learning.  Of course, the top universities don't like rote learners!!!

Dear Ljubomir,

Congratulations!! Twins are a bit of a test. One will tend to be more active than the other and the family has to be extremely cautious for avoiding comparisons between them which is almost inevitable. 

I understand why you (@Ljubomir) want twins. You want to hold one of them. If your daughter has just one, you have to watch her with the baby on her arms, but being two or more you will always have the opportunity to a little baby with you. You need a heart transplant man. Your hearth is way too big, that is the problem.

One good information - Danville Science Centre

http://dsc.smv.org/livescience.html

Dear @Vilemar, don't forget that Prof Ljubomir has 2 daughters.  Now if each one has twins, there will be 4 little ones to attend to.  He may not have time on RG or less time on RG then.  I really pray that the economy of Serbia will improve and the unemployment will be reduced, perhaps by tourism, agriculture including fishing, etc.  (Prof Ljubomir, I'm waiting to hear from Raoof about the job...)

Thanks @Umachandran for a good link.

@Nidal, please give a specific example on 'create application design for each subject', and a link, so that it benefits everyone.  Since the Question is specific, I hope answers are also specific, thanks.

Students who learn how to read and engage with scholarly articles as part of their research and writing process develop effective skills that serve them well in college and beyond. We see recognition of this with growing emphasis on undergraduate research and the introduction of science research programs in secondary education.

But let’s admit it: reading a scholarly article isn’t easy...

Can technology help? It can. Technologies like generative AI can be used to summarize articles or explain difficult concepts, doing some of the heavy lifting for students. If the outputs are accurate, that may be helpful, but in most cases a summary is not a replacement for close reading and deep engagement. Might there be technology that helps the student learn to read challenging scholarly materials? The most promising technology we have seen and are experimenting with is social annotation...

As a community faced with the need to thrive as individual organizations and also as a system, we should be creating interoperable pathways to access and interact with scholarship so that students can engage in sense-making directly with content. Social annotation, and its model of the integration of Hypothesis with JSTOR, provide a scalable opportunity for that direct and deep engagement...

https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2023/07/11/guest-post-students-need-to-learn-how-to-read-scholarly-articles-heres-how-technology-can-help/?informz=1&nbd=6f03e560-5431-4744-8998-e00223ee7a82&nbd_source=informz