Interest and self-efficacy are distinct yet reciprocally related in supporting learning¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · reviewr2·q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · checked against its sources 2026-10-22 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q2 i? Studies examining both variables report that developing interest in disciplinary content leads to beliefs about ability to succeed, and that self-efficacy in turn informs interest. → Renninger 2026
Evidence¶
Renninger 2026¶
Renninger, K. A., Barton, L. K., Bautista, G., Garcia-Barrios, M., Ogunyinka, I., & Riley, K. R. (2026). Interest, Self-efficacy, and Belonging in Classroom Learning. Educational Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-025-10102-7
q2 · i? · review · r2
The review reports, citing Nuutila et al. (2020), a study of elementary students' pre-post survey responses and mathematics tasks in which "triggers for situational interest contributed to participants' feelings of self-efficacy and boosted performance." The review also cites Fryer and Ainley's (2019) longitudinal survey study as evidence the relation is reciprocal.
"Nuutila et al. ( 2020) examined elementary students' pre-post survey responses and their work with mathematics tasks, they reported that triggers for situational interest contributed to participants' feelings of self-efficacy and boosted performance."
Discussion¶
Learner Variables¶
- Interest — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
- Motivation — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
- Self-Efficacy — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
Related Claims¶
- During inquiry-informed learning, students' interest, self-efficacy, and belonging were increasingly coordinated over time — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- Authentic, challenging projects in the Learning Studio developed students' self-efficacy for future careers — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
- Students confident about their mathematical ability are mostly also convinced of the relevance of mathematics, forming a motivational basis; low-confidence students are hard to motivate — related
- No statistically significant reciprocal relationships between Task interest and formative test performance were found. — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
interest-self-efficacy-reciprocal-relation |
title |
Interest and self-efficacy are distinct yet reciprocally related in supporting learning |
description |
Interest and self-efficacy are distinct yet reciprocally related in supporting learning |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
weak |
newest_evidence |
2026 |
source_checked |
2026-10-22 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-22 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — renninger-2026 |
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