Pre-service primary school teachers’ motivation for learning chemistry and their gifted behavioural scores in chemistry

Ribič, Luka (author), Vinko, Luka (author), Slapničar, Miha (author), Devetak, Iztok (author)

Motivation is an important factor predicting students’ academic achievements, and higher levels of motivation have been observed in gifted students. Building on this, the present study explores the relationship between pre-service primary school teachers’ motivation for learning chemistry, their intrinsic motivation for understanding the chemistry triplet, and their gifted behavioural scores in chemistry. A total of 80 first-year pre-service teachers participated in the study using three questionnaires. Results showed no statistically significant differences between students’ overall motivation for learning chemistry (Relative Autonomous Index - RAI) and their intrinsic motivation for learning the chemistry triplet, nor between motivation and gifted behavioural scores. However, significant differences were found between stu-dents gifted behavioural scores and their intrinsic motivation across all three levels of chemical representation, with gifted students showing higher motivation. Students demonstrated the highest intrinsic motivation for learning on the macroscopic level, while they were least motivated to learn the symbolic level. These findings highlight the importance of tailored instructional strategies that support both gifted and non-gifted students in navigating the abstract nature of chemical concepts. Enhancing visualization and fostering autonomy may improve intrinsic motivation and conceptual understanding. The study also suggests that gifted behavioural scores play a role in students’ engagement with complex scientific content, emphasizing the need to consider individual learner characteristics in teacher education programs.

• Language: English
• Keywords: motivation for learning chemistry, intrinsic motivation, giftedness in chemistry, chemistry triplet
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: PEF - Faculty of Education
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 385-395
• Numbering: Vol. 73, no. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-184218
• UDC: 54
• ISSN on article: 1580-3155
• DOI: 10.17344/acsi.2025.9641
• COBISS.SI-ID: 283180291
• Publication date in RUL: 02.07.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta chimica slovenica
• Shortened title: Acta chim. slov.
• Publisher: Slovensko kemijsko društvo, = Slovenian Chemical Society
• ISSN: 1580-3155
• COBISS.SI-ID: 21870085

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian

Abstract

Motivacija je pomemben dejavnik pri napovedovanju akademskih dosežkov študentov in višje ravni motivacije so bile ugotovljene pri nadarjenih študentih. Namen raziskave je preučiti odnos med motivacijo bodočih učiteljev razrednega pouka za učenje kemije, njihovo intrinzično motivacijo za razumevanje trojne narave kemijskih pojmov ter njihovimi rezultati na lestvici vedenjskih značilnosti nadarjenosti na področju kemije. V raziskavi je sodelovalo 80 študentov prvega letnika študijskega programa za razredni pouk, ki so izpolnili tri vprašalnike. Rezultati niso pokazali statistično značilnih razlik med splošno motivacijo študentov za učenje kemije (Relative Autonomous Index – RAI) in njihovo intrinzično motivacijo za učenje trojne narave kemijskih pojmov, prav tako ne med motivacijo in rezultati na lestvici vedenjskih značilnosti nadarjenosti. Ugotovljene pa so bile statistično značilne razlike med rezultati na lestvici vedenjskih značilnosti nadarjenosti in intrinzično motivacijo študentov na vseh treh ravneh predstavitve kemijskih pojmov, pri čemer so nadarjeni študenti izkazovali višjo motivacijo. Študenti so izkazali najvišjo intrinzično motivacijo za učenje na makroskopski ravni, najmanj pa so bili motivirani za učenje na simbolni ravni. Ugotovitve poudarjajo pomen prilagojenih učnih strategij, ki podpirajo tako nadarjene kot tudi nenadarjene študente pri razumevanju abstraktne narave kemijskih pojmov. Izboljšanje vizualizacije ter spodbujanje avtonomije pri učenju lahko prispevata k večji intrinzični motivaciji in boljšemu konceptualnemu razumevanju. Raziskava prav tako nakazuje, da rezultati na lestvici vedenjskih značilnosti nadarjenosti vplivajo na vključenost študentov pri obravnavi kompleksnih znanstvenih vsebin, kar poudarja potrebo po upoštevanju individualnih značilnosti učečih se v programih izobraževanja učiteljev.

• Keywords: motivacija za učenje, notranja motivacija, kemijski trojček, nadarjenost za kemijo, kemija

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: J5-50155
• Name: Dopolnjena resničnost za doseganje boljšega razumevanja trojne narave kemijskih pojmov