When scaffolding is done correctly, students are encouraged to develop their own creativity, motivation, and resourcefulness. How teachers interact with students and how students interact with one another as they complete a task is important to students' ability to perform the activity. This article shows how scaffolding can be effectively applied…

This article is the story of what happens when students are given the opportunity to be part of the decision-making process, both in the negotiation of what takes place in the classroom and in the "action" of the action research process itself. An action research approach was used as the most appropriate method by which to analyse the…

Person-centered instruction recognizes the importance of internal motivation in learning. It is difficult, however, for many teachers to hold on to their early visions of interacting in classrooms filled with internally motivated students. This may be due to escalating demands for test score accountability. It may be due to reliance on packaged…

This article is about my year-long journey implementing Web 2.0 tools into my teaching practice. The goal throughout my journey has always been to increase my students' intrinsic motivation to learn about science. The Web 2.0 tools I used along my journey were weblogs (blogs) and podcasts. (Contains 1 figure.)

The front handspring is an important gymnastics skill that serves as a transition from beginner-level rolling and static balances to more advanced tumbling. It is, therefore, a skill highly desired by beginners. Early learning requires a great deal of effort during which students experience many failed attempts. Unless they are highly motivated,…

Guided by the principles of learner-centered teaching methodology, a Second Life project is designed to engage students in active learning of virtual commerce through hands-on experiences and teamwork in a virtual environment. More importantly, an assessment framework is proposed to evaluate the learning objectives and learning process of the…

This study investigated language teaching strategies, as reported by teachers and students, and the effects of these strategies on students' motivation and English achievement. The participants consisted of 31 English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers and their students (N = 694) in Catalonia, Spain. The teachers and students rated the…

Adult English language learners in the United States approach the learning of English pronunciation from a wide variety of native language backgrounds. They may speak languages with sound systems that vary a great deal from that of English. The pronunciation goals and needs of adult English language learners are diverse. These goals and needs…

Inspired by his ability to teach algebra to low-income and mostly African American and Latino urban students--and have them outscore the state averages for high-income and Caucasian students on standardized tests--Kadhir "Raja" Rajagopal, the 2011 California Teacher of the Year, provides you with a model for teaching that unleashes the…

In academia, there is much discussion about "millennial" students--those born between 1982 and 2002. Although there is a mix of students in college classes, particularly at community colleges, the influx of millennials is notable in terms of their sheer numbers. This year will see the largest high school graduation class ever--even…

This case study examines the motivational structure of a group of male students (n = 10) in a grade 11 General Science class at an independent single-sex school. We approach the concept of motivation through the integration of three different theoretical approaches: sociocultural theory, future time perspective and achievement goal theory. This…

Gifted children are susceptible to many de-motivating factors, which can lead to depression and academic underachievement. The authors present concepts and techniques to counteract those factors, allowing a child's motivation to skyrocket. Features the Four C's of Motivation: (1) Creating Challenge; (2) Creating Control; (3) Creating Commitment;…

This study investigates how portfolios support pre-service teachers' learning to teach. The findings revealed that the portfolio provides pre-service teachers with productive learning experiences which help them develop their "library use, knowledge, skills, attitudes, personal traits, motivation to learn, interpersonal relationships"…

All of the ideas and advice you can get on research-based school improvement don't matter if your community does not address norms that discourage and dishonor academic achievement. Fortunately, here's a book with lots of successful examples from real schools that shows how educators can collaborate with others to reverse poor motivation, reward…

A key consideration in course planning and teaching is motivation, which is sometimes considered the single most important factor in the practical realisation of language teaching in the classroom. The motivation students have for attending recreational courses can be somewhat different from that of students in school and university programs.…