IJECA International Journal of Education & Curriculum Application http://journal.ummat.ac.id/index.php/IJECA ISSN 2614-3380 | Vol. 6, No. 2, August 2023 141 The Strategies of Catholic Religious Teachers in Enhancing the Learning Interest of Fifth Grade Students in Elementary School Din Oloan Sihotang 1 , Aldi Alfrianza Sinulingga 2 , Riris Surbina Br Tarigan 3 1,2,3 Catholic Religious Education, STP St. Bonaventura Delitua Medan, Indonesia. oloansihotang08@gmail.com 1 , sinulinggaaldi@gmail.com 2 , ririssurbina@gmail.com 3 ABSTRACT Keywords: learning interest; models; strategies; teaching. Effective teaching strategies are crucial in enhancing students' understanding, increasing engagement, fostering creativity and problem- solving skills, addressing student diversity, and improving knowledge retention and transfer. The use of good strategies creates a positive and meaningful learning experience for students. Hence, this research aims to explore how Catholic religious teachers in Elementary School enhance the learning interest of fifth-grade students. The research methodology employed is qualitative. The study took place at Elementary School, involving 15 students selected through snowball sampling. Observations and interviews were conducted during the teaching and learning process. The findings indicate that the fifth-grade students at Elementary School display a positive learning interest in Catholic religious education. They actively engage with the teacher by asking questions and paying close attention. The teacher utilizes a Lesson Plan and addresses the variations in students' characteristics. Additionally, the teacher involves proficient students to assist their peers who may struggle. Social interaction is fostered through group discussions in the classroom. The teacher also demonstrates thorough instructional preparation. Overall, the students are physically and mentally prepared to participate in the learning process. Article History: Received: 26-06-2023 Revised : 21-07-2023 Accepted: 24-07-2023 Online : 01-08-2023 This is an open access article under the CC–BY-SA license https://doi.org/10.31764/ijeca.v6i2.16090 —————————— ◆ —————————— A. INTRODUCTION Interest is a psychological aspect that motivates individuals to pursue goals and develop a fascination, concentration, engagement, liking, appreciation, or heightened attention towards something. However, if the circumstances fail to generate interest in achieving those goals, the interest will be futile and not particularly strong or useful (Tuan et al, 2022). Interest represents one's desire to attentively engage in an activity, willingly and without coercion (Reski, 2021). Based on the above definitions, learning interest refers to an individual's capacity or inclination, focus, and enjoyment towards learning activities, demonstrated through active participation in the learning process. The lack of students' learning interest is influenced by various factors such as teacher attention, availability of learning media, and learning methods that affect student interest (Ash & Hand, 2022). In Catholic religious education, the factors that influence student interest include the use of appropriate teaching strategies that significantly impact students' learning interest.