Teaching-learning laboratory "makeScience!" and students' interest - Studies on the learning environment "Donor-Acceptor Reactions - placed in Bubble Tea Balls"

The learning environment "Donor-Acceptor Reactions - placed in Bubble Tea Balls" was a joint project developed within the framework of the project MINT(2)KA for students in a German college. It was tested in the teaching-learning laboratories of the universities of education in Karlsruhe and Heidelberg. The focus of the scientific monitoring was the perspective of the students regarding their perceptions when visiting the teaching-learning labs. In particular, the situational interest, the social integration and the self-activity of the students were investigated. Here, the interest was understood as a multidimensional construct and the student relationship to the experience during the learning environment was seen as a key element. During the research, the degree of situational interest was measured by the subjective feelings of appreciation, emotional experience, value-related valence and the epistemic orientation of a person in relation to the laboratory visit. The results of the questionnaire-based survey showed positive values regarding the sub-dimensions of situational interest. In addition, a high degree of self-activity of the students as well as social integration through the evoked learning atmosphere was determined.