There is little research that reports children's perspectives on physical activity, bodies and health. This paper, drawn from a larger multi-method study on physical activity in the lives of seven- and eight-year-old Australian children, attempts to "give a voice" to 13 children's views. Interviews focused on children's activity…

This article offers a review of the major literature about attitudes to science and its implications over the past 20 years. It argues that the continuing decline in numbers choosing to study science at the point of choice requires a research focus on students' attitudes to science if the nature of the problem is to be understood and remediated.…

A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Because community schools are premised on the comprehensive nature of student learning and development, they not only offer rigorous curriculum but also provide additional services, support, and opportunities for children, youth, their…

As teachers, they strive to implement imaginative, creative lessons to connect their students with the dynamic mystery of science. To help infuse curricular programs with the philosophy of learning by doing, the staff of Emerson Junior-Senior High School designed and implemented an authentic interdisciplinary project called…

This study aimed to investigate the importance of self-efficacy and attitudes to wards writing in writing training. It was also necessary to establish whether these constructs could be more enhanced through a specific intervention as part of the motivational factors, than through training which coaches other writing components such as cognitive…

Using latent variable path analysis with partial least squares (LVPLS), the study examines the pathways between parenting practices and children's motivational orientation toward school work over the transition to middle school. Greater external control and lack of guidance by parents in the 5th-grade year were related to children's poorer…

In order to understand and predict students' achievement and persistence at learning activities, many contemporary motivational models consider how much students are motivated for their school work. However, students' achievement and persistence might not only be affected by their amount of study motivation, but also by the motivation to engage in…

In this exploratory distance mentor/mentee program implemented fall 2005 at the University of West Georgia , the authors investigated strategies that worked in motivating faculty to put their face-to-face classes online. This paper provides an overview of the program, its successes, problem areas, and tips for administrators to adopt in designing…

This article reviews and discusses certain ideas and initiatives found in the scholarship on faculty motivation, roles, and service and outreach involvement. It is intended as a resource for formulating practical applications for use in encouraging broad faculty participation in the Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics (PRISM), a…

This concise volume offers educational leaders key concepts and strategies for framing discussions about closing the equity gap and ensuring high achievement for all learners. As the first volume in "The Soul of Educational Leadership" series, this unique collection presents: (1) Pedro Noguera and Alan Blankstein on essential questions and themes;…

Background: For ten years, the National Science Education Standards (National Research Council, 1996) have served as the foundation for Connecticut's teacher certification in science and the expectations of teacher practice secondary science classrooms. Furthermore, beginning science teachers must demonstrate the ability to teach in an…

What is meant when people say that "learning environments are increasingly complex"? What is known about the cognitive processing that occurs during complex learning? How can educators provide effective instructional support for students who must learn and apply complex knowledge? These questions, and related issues, have fascinated educators and…

Urban high school students want their schools to provide academic courses and extracurricular activities that challenge and interest them. Too often, however, these students chafe against "a system that shuts them off rather than recognizing and developing their potential," writes Cushman. In her conversations with 65 students across the…

One theoretical approach for increasing intrinsic motivation for reading consists of teachers using situational interest to encourage the development of long-term individual interest in reading. The authors investigated that possibility by using stimulating tasks, such as hands-on science observations and experiments, to increase situational…

The results reported in this article are part of a larger study of the political competencies of students in Norwegian upper secondary school. The main focus of this study is how to teach civics in secondary school as a preparation for democratic citizenship. In this study, it is argued that self-efficacy and motivation, in addition to knowledge,…