Successful teaching and learning in schools is demonstrated in particular by the ability to motivate pupils to participate in lessons and to spark their interest in the subject matter. International comparative studies such as TIMSS and PISA have provided almost sufficient empirical evidence that pupils’ interest in mathematics and science lessons is particularly low in lower secondary education (Baumert & Lehmann, 1997; Artelt, Demmrich & Baumert 2001). The recently published results of the IGLU study (and its national extension, IGLU/E) show that by the end of primary school, ‘the joy of learning and children’s curiosity in mathematics remain undiminished’ (Walther, Geiser, Langeheine & Lobemeier 2003, 220). However, a subject-specific didactic perspective inevitably implies that the focus of analysis should be not on motivation, but rather on interest, given its subject-specific nature. Thus, particularly on the basis of the IGLU findings, it remains largely unclear which teaching factors specifically determine the joy of learning or interest in individual school subjects.
The aim of this research is to investigate the interests of primary school pupils with regard to content-related, contextual and activity-related aspects of mathematics teaching. The intention is to take the empirically identified interests of primary school pupils into account when planning and delivering mathematics lessons, with a view to structuring teaching effectively.

References:
Artelt, C., Demmrich, A. & Baumert, J. (2001). Self-regulated learning. In German PISA Consortium (Eds.), PISA 2000. A comparison of pupils’ basic skills (pp. 272–298). Opladen: Leske + Budrich.
Baumert, J. & Lehmann, R. (1997). TIMSS – An International Comparison of Mathematics and Science Education. Opladen: Leske + Budrich.
Walther, G., Geiser, H., Langeheine, R. & Lobemeier, K. (2003). Mathematical competences at the end of Year 4. In W. Bos, E.-M. Lankes, M. Prenzel, K. Schwippert, G. Walther & R. Valtin (eds.), Initial findings from IGLU (pp. 189–226). Münster et al.: Waxmann.