The relation between interests and grades: Path analyses in primary school age

Within the school context substantial correlations between interests and grades are well documented, but the causal ordering still remains unclear. The paper examines how the relation between interests and grades over several measurement waves in elementary school age can be characterized, whether gender differences in the pattern of effects can be shown, and whether the effects are school-subject-specific. The present analysis follows N = 1.199 students in the 3rd Grade over a year and a half. It can be shown that grading determines the level of future interests but not vice versa. Thereby, the pattern of results concerning interests and grades is similar for boys and girls. The effects of grades on subsequent interests are mostly school-subject-specific.