The purpose of this study was to (1) reexamine academic achievement motivation orientations within the context of instrumental music, and (2) examine relations among achievement motivation orientations, self-concept in instrumental music, and attitude to band in relation to teachers' ratings of performance achievement and effort, and students'…

This pilot study explores the use of Internet Relay Chat facilities such as ICQ in an independent-use mode, as a vehicle for potential English language enhancement. In a small-scale study, a number of Hong Kong secondary school students (Grades 7-10) agreed to participate in an on-line "chatting" programme (in a text-only mode) for a minimum of 20…

The authors investigated the dimensions and mechanisms of belonging relevant to motivation and achievement among high school students representing 4 ethnic groups. Using survey data from 9th to 12th grade students (N = 5,494) attending 7 ethnically-diverse high schools, structural equation modeling was employed to explore, independently for each…

In 1979 and 1980 "Child Care Information Exchange" ran a series of five articles about what was then called school-age day care: "Getting It Off the Ground," "Designing an Effective Structure," "Developing a Responsive Curriculum," "Selecting and Motivating Staff," and "Managing the Money." These articles from 25 years ago captured the essence of…

The aim of this report was to quantify the benefit, in terms of higher wages, of completing a vocational education and training (VET) qualification. Two factors influenced the direction of this research. First of all, VET is concerned primarily with improvements in skill levels (with a likely consequence of improved productivity and therefore…

The aim of the current study was to examine how bullying by peers relates to self-esteem, school connectedness and motivation for academic success in an Australian high school. Questionnaires were completed by 975 students across years 7 to 12. As predicted, male students were subjected to more direct forms of bullying than female students.…

In this article the relationships between three different types of intrinsic motivation and students' intention to be physically active after school graduation were examined. The participants were 400 school children aged 14-18 years. The modified version of SMS was used to measure the three different types of intrinsic motivation. The intention…

This study investigated professional thinking about pedagogical aspects of technology use in mainstream classroom practice. It focuses on the systems of ideas which frame teacher accounts of the successful use of computer-based tools and resources in the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science at secondary-school level. These accounts…

This article presents the findings from research conducted on a work-related learning programme for disengaged and disaffected 14-16-year-olds. The article begins by examining work-related learning within the context of national policy developments in England. The findings from the research are analysed in relation to the capacity of workplace…

High school instructors need to focus on engagement, not just motivation to inspire student learning. Based on the author's experience working with the toughest students, at-risk kids, struggling students, and drop outs, this book offers teachers strategies that work to harness students' interests and creativity. This book includes techniques and…

In a survey study, we investigated teacher attitudes toward acceleration and accelerated students in the Netherlands. Teachers (N = 334) from 31 secondary schools gave their opinion about gifted education and acceleration, and evaluated statements about accelerated students. Most teachers considered a special approach for gifted students advisable…

This article considers the effectiveness and implications of the "Powerplus" composing project, in which teenage students were asked to write for a chamber ensemble in preparation for a public concert of their work. The perspectives of all participants are considered, with a view to understanding i) the developing identities of young…

This paper presents an argument around the need to rethink the issue of early school leaving from the vantage point of students and teachers, and the conditions and pathways that need to be constructed and brought into existence within schooling, if such conditions do not already exist. The attempt is to move discussions outside of the…

This article argues that changes of gendered attitudes towards IT among students may be related to recent educational reforms focusing on incorporating computers into the classroom. Data are drawn from an interview survey with 430 students attending 26 primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. The results reveal no significant differences…

Over the past decades, genetics has remained a difficult topic in school science. This paper presents an interactive multimedia program, "BioLogica", used to teach Grade 10 (14- and 15-year-olds) Australian students about genetics. Over six weeks, the teacher used different representations in the teaching and engaged students in computer…