Abstract:

Modern activating teaching methods represent a student-centered pedagogical approach that, through active engagement, cooperation, and problem solving, promotes deeper understanding of subject matter and the development of intrinsic motivation for learning. The paper focuses on verifying the relationship between the use of activating methods in teaching and the level of students’ motivation to learn chemistry. The underlying assumption is that activating methods primarily support intrinsic motivation.

The didactic experiment was conducted over one semester. To assess the level of motivation, a standardized diagnostic questionnaire from the field of educational diagnostics was used, identifying intrinsic and extrinsic motives for learning. The questionnaire was administered in both the experimental and the control group before the beginning of the experiment and after its completion. In the experimental group, teaching was carried out predominantly using activating methods, whereas in the control group traditional teaching methods were applied. The aim was to identify changes in students’ motivational structure and compare them between groups depending on the instructional approach used.

The results showed that in the experimental group there was an increase in intrinsic motivation – the average value of cognitive motives increased by approximately 15%, and achievement motives by 21.2%, with growth observed in the majority of students. A slight increase in certain components of extrinsic motivation was also recorded. The fear-of-failure motive slightly decreased. In the control group, a comparable increase in intrinsic motivation was not confirmed. The final comparison after the experiment showed higher levels of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and a lower level of fear-related motivation in the experimental group compared to the control group.

The findings suggest that the systematic use of activating teaching methods can positively influence students’ motivational structure, particularly its intrinsic component, and enhance their interest in learning.

Keywords:

Activating Teaching Methods, Intrinsic Motivation, Student Motivation, Chemistry Education.