EXPLORING STUDENTS’ LEARNING INTEREST: AN ANALYSIS OF AWARENESS, ATTENTION, WILLINGNESS, AND POSITIVE AFFECT

Abstract

Students’ learning interest is a fundamental psychological driver that determines the depth of cognitive involvement, mental concentration, and overall engagement in higher education settings. While academic performance is often evaluated through external factors, empirical studies about student learning interest as a single variable is limited in local higher education contexts. This study aims to examine the empirical profile and distribution of students’ learning interest across its four core constituent dimensions: awareness, attention, willingness, and positive affect. This study employed a quantitative descriptive research design involving 322 students at Institut Teknologi dan Bisnis Indragiri. Data were collected using questionnaires and subsequently analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS 26. The findings indicate that overall students’ learning interest is remarkably high. Categorically, 44.72% of students achieved a "very high" interest level, 45.65% were categorized as "high", 8.07% as "moderate", 1.24% as "low" and 0.31% as “very low”. Among the four specific sub-indicators, students’ willingness attained a "very high" classification, whereas awareness, attention, and positive affect were categorized as "high". The study concludes that students possess a strong intrinsic drive and goal-directed willingness toward learning, though active instructional strategies are required to continually sustain attention, awareness, and positive affect during lectures.

Read More Abstract