Learners' formal and informal beliefs may influence the way they approach learning. Do they learn to apply or learn to understand? The effort they make to learn depends on their perception of how the learning will reward them. Cross-cultural beliefs about knowledge and conceptions of learning must also be taken into account in developing…

A survey of Scottish older adults participating in three educational contexts (Universities of the Third Age, self-help classes, and formal adult education) as well as nonparticipants found that participants were motivated by the need for mental activity, social engagement, and second-chance learning. The process of learning and ownership of…

Assesses the validity and reliability of a scale of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for second language learning, and examines the relations between these types of motivation and the four orientations discussed by Clement and Kruidenier (1983). Results are discussed with reference to how intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are relevant to…

Reports on a small-scale study that investigated the relationship between on-task behavior, usefulness of materials as perceived by learners, and enjoyableness of materials. Data were collected daily over one term in two South Korean English-as-a-Foreign-Language classrooms. (Author/JL)

Hardiness of academic self-concept was measured in 481 high school students; factor analyses were conducted. Validity and reliability of the Academic Hardiness Scale were supported, and a three-factor model emerged, depicting hardiness as a process of commitment, control, and challenge that served to buffer stressful situations. (Contains 60…

A survey of 82 adults in noncredit programs on the arts and lifelong learning and interviews with 25 identified their motivations and outcomes. They valued noncredit learning for the opportunity to try something new in a nonthreatening environment. These learning opportunities benefited their social involvement, health, and well-being. (SK)

The article addresses clarity and coherence of lesson goals as a scaffold for student learning. In 13 physics classes video recordings of the introductory lesson of two topics were rated with respect to clarity and coherence of the lesson structure. HLM analyses showed a positive effect of classes with high goal clarity and coherence on the…

As meta-analyses demonstrate feedback effects on performance, our study examined possible mediators. Based on our cognitive-motivational model [Vollmeyer, R., & Rheinberg, F. (1998). Motivationale Einflusse auf Erwerb und Anwendung von Wissen in einem computersimulierten System [Motivational influences on the acquisition and application of…

The goal of this article is to discuss one of Paul Pintrich's more enduring legacies: the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), an 81-item, self-report instrument consisting of 6 motivation subscales and 9 learning strategies scales. The MSLQ has proven to be a reliable and useful tool that can be adapted for a number of…

This study examined the effects of organisational learning initiatives on employee motivation. Four initiatives consistent with theories of organisational learning were a priori ranked in terms of concepts that underpin intrinsic-motivation theory. Eighteen employees in a UK petrochemical company were interviewed to ascertain their experiences of…

Why do musicians specialize in the specific instruments that they do? Research has shown effects of such factors as the perceived masculinity/femininity of instruments and musician's personality but there are little background data on other factors. The present study had two major aims. The first aim was to gather some useful background data on…

In this study, it is assumed that "a will to learn" must be present before teachers engage in actual learning activities. In order to explore teachers' will to learn in workplace situations, a small-scale qualitative study was conducted using a semi-structured interview, observation, a retrospective interview, and a phenomenographic approach to…

As the population of older adults increases, the field of adult education needs to respond accordingly. The study reported in this paper examined motivations for learning among older adults actively engaged in formal lifelong learning. One hundred eighty-nine members of a Learning in Retirement institute were surveyed using Boshier's Education…

Exposing students to literature in the form of novels that deal with topics related to course content can be a useful method of instruction. Theoretically, students may be more motivated to learn if they become curious about the issues under consideration in the classroom thereby potentially meeting pedagogical desires to place students in an…

Studies have suggested that students' computer attitudes are related to their success in learning to use computer technology. The current study investigates how positive attitudes are "transferred" into higher learning achievement, and determines an intermediate variable between computer attitudes and computer learning and achievement--time spent…