Defines the concept of the learning contract, describes its purposes, and offers a rationale for its use. Typical components and how they might be negotiated are discussed as well as contract implementation and some advantages and cautions to be considered when using this approach. A checklist and 12 references are included. (MBR)

Participation should be studied as an act that takes place in a sociocultural context. Concepts to consider include motivational relevance, shared understandings, social factors, and educational processes. (SK)

The author reviews theories of human motivation: Lewin's force field analysis, Skinner's operant reinforcement theory, and Maslow's hierarchy of needs. He then extracts the implications of these theories for adult learning. SK)

Indicates that poor readers need approval, affection, the feeling of succeeding, knowledge, and the opportunity to overcome obstacles. Suggests that a sensitive teacher can help poor readers develop a desire to read and that success will follow. (TJ)

The results suggest that coding for storage in the short-term memory is effective when learning occurs under incidental conditions; however, long-term storage appears to be significantly affected by the intention to learn and the foreknowledge of a recall test. (MM)

Reviews Benjamin Bloom's new book, "Human Characteristics and School Learning," in which it is proposed that learning ability is determined by learning history and the quality of instruction. (SB)

Explores school counselors' role in homework intervention, an important area in the academic development domain. Reviews research findings on homework, delineates a model of learner-centered adaptive homework that focuses on learners' homework motivation and learning preferences, and presents two counseling approaches to helping students with…

In this article it is argued that peers have the potential to provide contexts for learning that can have a profound impact on the development of students' academic enablers. Describes ways in which peer collaborative contexts can promote academic engagement as well as provide a supportive structure for the development of specific problem-solving…

Investigated undergraduate motivation to learn, attempting to incorporate the role of discipline-specific factors in motivation to learn. Found that student academic performance is better explained by within- than by across-discipline indexes of motivation, probably because some types of motivation lead to success in some disciplines but failure…

Discusses some of the major developments, issues, and problems in studying the relationship between attitudes and motivation and second-language acquisition and proficiency. (29 references) (GLR)

The Comprehensive Expectancy Motivation Model is based on valence-instrumentality-expectancy theory. It describes expectancy motivation as part of a larger process that includes past experience, motivation, effort, performance, reward, and need satisfaction. The model has significant implications for the design, marketing, and delivery of adult…

A profile of 452 older adults enrolled in Learning-in-Retirement institutes showed they had relatively high economic status and extensive educational background. They were motivated by self-actualization, perceived cognitive gaps, intellectual curiosity, and social contact. An intellectually stimulating curriculum is a pivotal factor in predicting…

Personal and organizational factors influencing training were identified by 105 managers in Australia. A significant relationship was found between organizational aspects and training outcomes, suggesting that organizations' provision of training resources, incentives, and opportunities matter more than personal attributes of trainees. (SK)

Scores on the Characteristics of Lifelong Learners in the Professions scale for 256 teachers and administrators identified self-motivation as the greatest predictor of participation in learning activities, followed by external motivation. Participants with lower levels of educational attainment spent more time on learning activities. (SK)

Reviews the important literature published since Astin's 1985 work on involvement theory, including his subsequent publications on student involvement in learning, to determine whether student involvement does make a difference to student development and learning. Examines some of the limitations inherent in assessing student development and…