College students need to experience high expectations, through internal motivation or external encouragement, to be successful learners, and a healthy college or university community expects student participation in and sharing of leadership tasks. Goals for such expectations should be defined and communicated clearly through campus policy and…

Presents an eight-step plan for implementing technology integration. Describes a sixth-grade social studies class that used hypermedia software to complete a research project about the Renaissance. Discusses software selection, teaching computer skills, and the CD-ROM map project. Benefits include positive group interaction, self-expression, and…

Examined differences in children's perceptions of school tasks. Found that even kindergarten children are able to understand the learning purpose of tasks if teachers include that information in their lesson presentations. Results suggest that in order to motivate children's learning, teachers should emphasize the learning aspects of tasks, and…

Describes a learning system developed at Wirral Metropolitan College (UK) for self-access language provision, linked to a competence accreditation scheme. The competency-based approach is suited to languages because it offers a measure of built-in accountability. Flexible workshop provision is an effective means of delivering languages to a broad…

Reports on an experiment in electronic mail and computer-assisted classroom discussion among 41 college-level French students. Describes the research design and the results as they relate to students' attitudes and motivation. Finds that local area networks seem to encourage discussion among students. (CFR)

Maintains that group keyboard instruction provides a positive, motivating environment for elementary music students. Asserts that keyboard instruction encourages students to try other instruments. Provides suggestions for using keyboards in lower and upper elementary classrooms. (CFR)

Presents an interview between a researcher and a teacher who was the subject of two studies. Discusses the teacher's impressions of each study, the researchers, and what was learned from each experience. Describes problems with research methods and interpersonal factors. Concludes that participating in research is a valuable experience for…

Describes a course entitled "DNA and Evolution" in which students develop an appreciation for what science is and how it is practiced as well as an understanding of how some of the most central ideas in biology were developed and tested. Discusses the design of the course, the lecture and discussion topics, and the results and their…

Describes a study of academic library staff in Nigeria that was conducted to examine correlations between job satisfaction, job attitudes, work behavior, and motivation. Relevant research is reviewed, predictor variables for job satisfaction are discussed, and implications for library administrators are suggested. (14 references) (LRW)

A survey of 357 newly graduated pharmacists and 270 graduate pharmacy students showed economic motives were more often indicated by the former and intrinsic job attributes more frequently cited by the latter as reasons for deciding whether or not to pursue graduate study. A subsample study allowed development of student profiles. (Author/MSE)

Presents study results examining the effectiveness of teacher praise on children's on-task behavior. Describes Canter's Assertive Discipline, its use in Australia, and the basics of a study of the technique. Reports that all teacher subjects increased rates of praising following training, and all but one student improved levels of behavior.…

Studies attitudes of 120 African-American undergraduates toward academic interdependence and motivation in interdependent and independent learning contexts. Results indicate a prevalent cooperative academic attitude, with a positive impact on academic motivation in cooperative contexts. African-American students tend to be disposed more toward…

Examines eight factors affecting change in the California social studies curriculum. Considers Limited-English-Proficient students, uninterested students, teacher standards, teacher recruitment, support of teachers, the 1988 History-Social Science Framework, textbook adoption, and the California Assessment Program. Argues that a proactive…

Discusses the importance of attracting and maintaining student interest when teaching history. Argues that students learn best when they participate. Recommends using open-ended questions to motivate students to the process of studying history, making choices, and looking for answers. Emphasizes the value of mentoring, continuing education, and…

A recent structural model suggesting that nine factors exerted effects on seventh grade students' mathematics achievement and attitude was further tested with a national sample of 2,500 tenth grade mathematics students. The structural model, evolved and cross-validated with the younger sample, significantly accounted for variance in mathematics…