Analyzes seven characteristics of childhood play and describes way in which current computer technology for young children either allows for, or detracts from, creative play experiences. Argues that refinements are necessary before the computer can approach the effectiveness of more traditional materials in stimulating creative play experiences…

Finds that the most reliable indicator of students' motivation for literacy learning is not the type of reading program that districts follow, but the actual daily tasks that teachers provide in their classrooms. Describes open tasks that provide challenge, choice, student control over learning, and opportunities to collaborate with others and to…

Investigated whether specific strategies of commenting or questioning by the adult reader would influence the complexity and type of spontaneous comments to story details made by children listening to stories. Results suggest that parents and teachers should combine questioning and commenting during storybook readings to induce lengthier comments…

Describes a method for training technically qualified personnel to become competent instructors for corporate and industrial training programs. The method identifies 24 teacher behaviors that promote effective learning, and a copy of an Instructor Feedback Observation Form which includes these behaviors is provided. (two references) (LAE)

Researchers measured the constructs of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for college students' learning, examining self-assessed motivation, composite ACT score, and grade point average (GPA). Extrinsic motivation more strongly (though negatively) predicted GPA. There was a significant positive relationship between GPA and intrinsic motivation.…

Examines factors motivating 90 aspiring school administrators to pursue principalships and to enroll in a preservice training program. Personal motivations for challenge, responsibility, and knowledge figure prominently in career and preservice training decisions. Context and the influence of others were significant in training-program selection.…

This study is a continuation of an ethnographic study of a six-year-old Japanese child learning English as a Second Language. It is concluded that language transfer, overgeneralization, and simplification combined with natural development all worked together in the development of the subject's interlanguage, irrespective of the overwhelming input…

Reexamines basic aspects of creativity enumerated by Viktor Lowenfeld and shows how goals of art education have varied with time and social needs. Argues that interdisciplinary approach to learning, which involves seeing connections and realizing that all knowledge is one and whole, is what education is all about. Concludes that such approach was…

Argues for a critical language awareness (LA) and for LA to be closely linked to the development of learners' practical language capabilities. The paper offers a critical evaluation of three major programmatic statements about LA: Committee for Linguistics in Education (1985); National Congress on Languages in Education (1985); and Hawkins (1984).…

Presents a prescriptive model for the instructional motivation of adults. The theoretical framework that combined adult learning theory with the ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction) model to create two motivational needs-assessment instruments is explained, and a study that surveyed adults to determine their perceptions of…

Reports on two aspects of the SIMULATE (Simulation Authoring Tools Environment) project: an account of the learning processes that are involved in learning with computer simulations, and an inventory of learner attributes. Topics discussed include ISLEs (intelligent simulation learning environments), prior knowledge, motivation, cognitive style,…

Investigated the emergence of orientations and their relation to motivation in a predominantly monolingual context. Participants were 93 Quebec City francophone Grade 11 high school students learning English as a Second Language. (Author/JL)

Relates how the author, a White teacher, discovered how to teach her African American students by learning to understand their culture. Discusses how she became aware of the cultural discontinuity in her classroom, and began a dialog with African-American friends, fellow teachers, children, parents, and multicultural literature to change her style…

Discusses some current theories of learning motivation and describes how they may relate to the education of physicians, noting frequent disparities between medical schools' stated goals for learners and what is actually taught or rewarded by faculty. While motivation is multifaceted, there are strategies that may be used to strengthen students'…

Describes a small-scale study into learners' attributions for success and failure in learning French. The study investigated the way in which learners conceptualize the notion of doing well, together with perceived reasons for successes and failures. Interviews were conducted with students (10-15 years of age) who were learning French in the…