Do you think it is generally true that first graders have more curiosity and are more motivated than sixth graders or high school students? If so, can you explain the decline? Be careful to consider the development that occurs during this time period.
"A common concern among parents and teachers is that curiosity and excitement about learning is replaced by a sense of drudgery and disinterest. School become a job you have to do- a workplace where the work is not that interesting. In fact, interest in school decreases over time from elementary to high school, with boys showing greater declines than girls. The transition to middle school is particularly linked to a decline in interest. These declines are troubling because results of research on learning in school show that interest is related to students' attention, goals, grades, and depth of learning" (498). Based on the above quote as well as my personal opinion, I do believe that it is generally true that younger students have more curiosity than older ones. In the early years, students are stimulate by their curiosity for what come next. As the years progress, the work gets harder and teachers become more predictable, eliminating that curiosity factor. Students can see what is coming in the future. Another factor I believe connects to why students lose interest as the years go by has to do with the amount of extracurricular stuff that goes on. Puberty is probably the biggest thing a child has to deal with growing up, and with other things on their mind than simply just school, kids' minds focus elsewhere. Losing that curiosity factor also loses the motivation and drive to learn, leaving kids bored and unhappy.
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