Examining the overseas experience of language learners in diverse contexts through a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches, studies in this volume look at the acquisition of language use, socialization processes, learner motivation, identity and learning strategies. In this way, the volume offers a privileged window into learner…

This manual describes the theory behind the Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) and explains what the subscale and scale scores mean. The SPQ is a 42-item self-report questionnaire used in Australia to assess the extent to which a tertiary student at a college or university endorses different approaches to learning and the motives and strategies…

A comparison of Anglo and Navajo students' perceptions of school achievement tests revealed a cultural dichotomy concerning the significance and purpose of tests. Study results pose policy questions: Should students be enculturated into test-taking values or should testing forms be changed to reflect cultural considerations of valued knowledge?…

Examines the degree to which experiencing confusion during the acquisition of new academic material differentially affects classroom performance of helpless and mastery-oriented fifth-graders. Provides an initial test of a theoretical approach to understanding differences between male and female performances in different subject areas. (AS)

This paper maintains that learning for the purpose of understanding is central to classes that are oriented towards learning. Such classes, which can be said to have a "learning orientation," can be differentiated from classes where an emphasis on performance or doing work increases the likelihood of rote or short-term learning. Four…

Describes a study of the role of face-to-face teaching and learning in two distance education courses at Athabasca University. Concerned with effects of a seminar on adult learner success, the study addressed the questions of whether students will attend optional seminars, how distance learners perceive seminars, whether attendees perform better,…

Administers an experimental college version of the Musical Aptitude Profile (CMAP) and 2 motivation measures to 187 nonmusic majors in a music appreciation course. Eliminates CMAP results from analysis resulting from low reliability. Includes data table that were significantly related. (NL)

This review of cognitive development research in the area of computer-based reading instruction focuses on reinforcement and instructional objectives. Differences between extrinsic and intrinsic reinforcement and motivation are discussed, types of objectives and learner characteristics are described, and implications for instructional design are…

Describes development of the ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction) model, a method for improving the motivational appeal of instructional materials. Strategies to identify and solve problems with learning motivation are explained, and two case studies are presented that tested the usefulness of the ARCS model in inservice teacher…

This article discusses the role of perceived self-efficacy during classroom learning of cognitive skills. Self-efficacy refers to personal judgments of performance capabilities in a given domain of activity. Students enter classroom activities with various aptitudes and prior experiences, which affect their initial sense of self-efficacy for…

Investigates the evaluation processes used in preschools, focusing on such issues as the extent to which (1) teachers use standards to support their evaluations; (2) whether standards teachers use are congruent with those that research and theory suggest would be used by preschool children; and (3) the extent to which teachers make causal…

Evaluates relevance of existing instructional research on computer-assisted instruction, programed instruction, instructional video, and instructional television to the study of interactive video; describes several assumptions about interactive video use which require validation and study; and proposes a propositional framework to guide the…

A study investigated tenacity of adult students who have once again made their way back to academia. The specific purpose was to discover how these students understood their own history of college enrollment and their perceptions of themselves as persisters. Participants were 63 "tenacious persisters" in three sections of an orientation class at a…

In an effort to further explore the experience of understanding from the university perspective, this study examined how British students' understanding was refined and committed to memory during preparation for final examinations. After piloting an interviewing procedure, in-depth interviews were conducted with eleven students from psychology…

The relationship between goal orientation and the use of learning strategies and their effects on learning outcomes were investigated. The three goal orientations considered were: (1) task orientation, which involves learning for its own sake; (2) ego orientation, which involves a desire to perform better than others; and (3) work avoidance, which…