In 1990, psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi warned against an excessive emphasis on how well music learners perform rather than on the experiential aspect of music in and of itself. Whereas the former approach is, in his words, "a source of psychic disorder," the latter approach offers access to "flow": the optimal,…

The popularity of rock climbing continues to increase. However, little research is available on the pedagogy of rock climbing. This study explored the effect of learning activities in a school-based rock climbing program on students' climbing self-efficacy. It used a case study design and data collection methods included (a) observations of the…

In the present research, we proposed a systematic approach to disentangling the shared and unique variance explained by achievement goals, reasons for goal pursuit, and specific goal-reason combinations (i.e., achievement goal complexes). Four studies using this approach (involving nearly 1,800 participants) led to 3 basic sets of findings. First,…

The eight schools profiled in this document are serving different populations, but all of them are closing the achievement gap between low-income, minority, and special needs students and their peers. By trying out innovative new strategies, these schools are blazing a trail for others to follow. They are dispelling the myth that some students can…