Advocates use of students' interests to develop "learning starters" (anything from the students' world with which they can become involved) as a motivational strategy in open classrooms. Identifies and discusses three major categories of learning starters: large group presentations, small group interactions, and independent study. (JD)

Discusses auditory practice (listening) as a factor in the learning process and as a goal area. Refers particularly to the "terminal" nine-year school. Motivation is high, because auditory skill can be developed to a higher point earlier than speech production. (IFS/WGA)

Children in the response-cost condition required more trials to reach a performance criterion and exhibited longer response times than children receiving reinforcement only. Response cost appeared to produce a negative effect that interfered with problem solving ability. (Author/RL)

This paper describes and illustrates the use of contract learning in undergraduate geography courses. Students and professors draw up a written agreement in which educational goals, learning resources, activities, and methods for evaluation are specified. (AV)

Examines why fiction books have usually been the genre of choice for reading aloud; research challenging the fiction-only approach; benefits of nonfiction books in the literacy experience of children; and how specific nonfiction books may be used to provide knowledge and an aesthetic experience comparable to that obtained with fiction. (MOK)

Describes a research-based analytical framework for motivation, activity, learning, and attribution to exam classroom management issues in student-centered instruction. Reviews research in classroom management for university and college-level classrooms. Describes the research base for the framework. (Contains 88 citations.) (Author/KHR)

Children's sense of relatedness is vital to their academic motivation from 3rd to 6th grade. Children's reports of relatedness predicted change in classroom engagement over the school year and contributed over and above the effects of perceived control. Analyses revealed that relatedness to parents, teachers, and peers each uniquely related to…

Describes potential role of flow experiences in motivating students to learn. Discusses the characteristics of flow: goals are clear, feedback is immediate, skills match challenges, concentration is deep, problems are forgotten, control is possible, self-consciousness disappears, sense of time is altered, and experience becomes autotelic. Then…

A theoretical model is proposed of the relationships between specific academic enablers (motivation, interpersonal skills, engagement, and study skills) and academic achievement. The results of these modeling analyses indicate that prior achievement and interpersonal skills influence motivation, which in turn influences study skills and engagement…

A study of 66 British participants at the beginning of and 2 years into labor education revealed that 80% had left school at age 16 and had negative schooling experiences. However, continual engagement in union activities and education, opportunities to see connections between work and learning activities, and the mutual reinforcement of these…

A teacher at Chicago Vocational High School describes how he interested a group of urban high school students in American poetry. Emphasizes anticipating the reasons for student resistance and drawing on students' likes and interests. (FMW)

Proposes a theoretical psychological model for strategy instruction. Describes the complexity of the profile of a competent strategy user. Comments on important strategy instruction. (DE)

Argues for learner motivation emphasis in teaching practice, application of school organization and classroom climate findings to prisoner education program development, and a cooperative administrative approach. Urges implementation of a social interaction learning model to achieve state educational aims for all students. (LAM)

The article describes a data-based method by which teachers can differentiate motivational problems from learning problems and increase the academic performance of learners with mildly handicapping conditions. The method involves graphing work attempted and percentage correct, reinforcing work attempted, and analyzing performance data for…

Adult learning is problem centered, and adults are motivated by personal growth. Curriculum design should promote information integration, account for learning style differences, and include transfer strategies. Facilitators should offer a safe, comfortable environment, and exercises should have fidelity. (SK)