ABSTRACT
Interest is universal and powerful in human lives. A solid foundation of research on interest has employed a range of disciplinary and theoretical perspectives. Sociocultural scholars’ work is emphasised to recognise the role of children’s participatory learning in their families and communities in stimulating and expanding children’s interests. Interest is connected with curiosity and inquiry, within and across education and community settings. Emerging theoretical perspectives hold potential for future explanations of children’s interests. After establishing the value of informal learning and its powerful relationship with interests, I conclude the chapter by proposing new principles for understanding children’s learning.
