A survey of all part-time students over 25 years old enrolled at North Carolina State University looked at the relationship of four kinds of learning motivation (self-improvement, job enhancement, social contact, and job change) to gender, age, educational level, and income. Implications for recruitment and retention are discussed. (MSE)

The article describes the triarchic theory of human intelligence, which is composed of three subtheories: componential, experiential, and contextual. Deficient cognitive strategies and inadequate knowledge in certain domains may result from the inability of the learning disabled to selectively encode, compare, and combine information, or from an…

Investigates the evaluation processes used in preschools, focusing on such issues as the extent to which (1) teachers use standards to support their evaluations; (2) whether standards teachers use are congruent with those that research and theory suggest would be used by preschool children; and (3) the extent to which teachers make causal…

Evaluates relevance of existing instructional research on computer-assisted instruction, programed instruction, instructional video, and instructional television to the study of interactive video; describes several assumptions about interactive video use which require validation and study; and proposes a propositional framework to guide the…

Describes students' views on how teaching methods could be improved. Suggestions for teachers include deemphasizing errors, providing a pleasant atmosphere, showing enjoyment, bringing in humor, admitting mistakes, giving homework, and letting students talk. (SRT)

How the topic of intrinsic motivation can be used as the theoretical framework to guide an undergraduate educational psychology course within the teacher education curriculum is described. Three motivation exercises, developed using the concepts of R. deCharms, are included. A preliminary assessment of the technique showed favorable results. (RM)

Unanswered questions about the development and administration of distance education as a solution to educational needs in developing nations are discussed, including program articulation, meeting different cultural needs and circumstances, and appropriate curriculum. (MSE)

This book offers strategies to help both new teachers and seasoned veterans create dynamic classroom environments where students enjoy learning and teachers enjoy teaching. In addition to no-nonsense advice, checklists, and handouts, the book includes: (1) A step-by-step plan to make the first week of school a success; (2) Approaches for creating…

This chapter examines how integrating the study of motivation to learn with the issue of identity development during adolescence requires simultaneous attention to patterns of school functioning, peer relationships, and mental health at the level of the individual, and to patterns of developmental supports or risks at the level of the social…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of competition on learning motivation among Chinese students in a classroom setting. The participants (N=52) were 7th-grade students from 2 Hong Kong secondary schools in a middle-lower class neighborhood. The students were randomly assigned to either competitive or non-competitive…

This action research project evaluated an intervention to motivate elementary students to be more responsible for their learning. Participating was a targeted class of fifth graders in a medium-sized rural community in northern Illinois. The problem of inadequate class participation and percentage of homework completed was documented through…

The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), a nationwide nonprofit organization of public officials who head state departments of elementary and secondary education, provides leadership on major education initiatives. In 1999, CCSSO embarked on the initiative "Students Continually Learning," which focused on three issues: early…

A study investigated tenacity of adult students who have once again made their way back to academia. The specific purpose was to discover how these students understood their own history of college enrollment and their perceptions of themselves as persisters. Participants were 63 "tenacious persisters" in three sections of an orientation class at a…

This paper discusses how to motivate unsuccessful English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners in Japanese high schools. The first section examines the current status of teaching ESL to Japanese high school students. The second section focuses on how to motivate unsuccessful ESL learners (employing motivational strategies, creating a comfortable…

This action research project sought to improve student motivation in order to increase academic performance among eighth graders in an urban community. Evidence of academic underachievement and lack of student participation was documented by means of teacher observations, incomplete and missing assignments, and student questionnaires. Student,…