Recognizing the relationship between homework completion and academic achievement, this action research project targeted eighth graders in all subject areas who failed to complete homework assignments and provided them with creative strategies to improve homework completion. Participating in the project were eighth graders from a small, suburban,…

Noting that poor social and emotional skills can interfere with academic growth of elementary school students, this action research project examined the impact of an intervention to improve students' emotional and social skills. Participating in the study were students from one fifth-grade public school class, one fifth-grade class in a private…

The activities in the guide will help you connect the suggestions and strategies in Classroom Motivation from A to Z to your real-life teaching experiences. For each of the 26 chapters in the book, you will find a series of three activities that will help you reflect on your current practices. They ask you to ACT now and turn your classroom into a…

In this paper, the following key questions will be examined. What is distinctive about cooperative learning, which makes it different from just groupwork? What has research found about the effectiveness of cooperative learning in promoting thinking? What conditions in cooperative learning help promote thinking? What theoretical perspectives…

Available data on Canadian and U.S. student drinking patterns are compared. Among the factors and implications discussed are prevalency and volume of drinking, its relation to other drug use, negative behavioral consequences, student characteristics, attitudes, motivation, and the influence of home, high school, and college environment in…

If experiential learning in the elementary school is to become a reality, a support system with at least four ongoing facets (inservice education, communication of experiential links with the standard curriculum, popularization of the concept of experiential learning, and motivation of students) must be implemented. (LC)

The Gateway Program at Temple University helps equip working adults to develop their own design for living, engage in educational planning in a context of accelerating societal change, and be more effective in all areas of their lives. The program uses ongoing mentoring, courses and workshops, certification, and faculty development. (Author/MSE)

The relationship between aid received and activities pursued after college (attending graduate school, career choice, forming a family, and forming personal values) was examined. Results imply that the self-help forms of aid (loans and work) are not detrimental to the future plans of recipients. (Author/LB)

The personal experiences of a teacher at a nontraditional, alternative high school illustrate not only the needs of nontraditional students but also some of the effective ways of getting these students to read and write. (RL)

Ninety-six high-achieving fourth graders performed a memory task before which either positive or negative expectancy statements were made by an adult and after which either positive or negative feedback statements were given. For high IQ children, performance was higher for discrepant combinations of expectancy-feedback. (Author/MH)

A study was conducted to examine undergraduate external degree programs and to assess their value in terms of job advancement and preparation for further education for approximately 1500 selected pre-September, 1975, graduates from 21 institutions with external degree programs. The relevance of such programs for adult education is discussed.…

The HIT (High Intensity Tutoring) program in two middle schools in Highland Park, Michigan, helps younger students come up to grade level in math and reading with special tutoring by older students, most of whom formerly needed tutoring themselves. (MF)

A faculty member at a state university expresses his opinion that the structure and functioning of large institutions of higher learning have created a frustrating, dehumanizing learning experience for students, functioning as knowledge factories and not places where students learn to grow and develop as educated persons. (AF)

Recounts a student teacher's first experiences in the classroom and provides helpful commentary and suggestions from a more experienced teacher. Briefly discusses classroom management, learning styles, individual needs, time constraints, assessment, and instructional materials. Includes a list of activities that help promote an atmosphere of…

Recommends that college teachers and their students exchange weekly letters, in either paper or electronic form, as a familiar and friendly means of communication. The method increases dialog, suggests rethinking, and encourages rewriting while keeping the stakes low. Students respond well to the assignment. Samples of student letters and comments…