The data gathered for this study supported the hypothesis that first grade students can revise and edit original writing projects without experiencing any significant loss in motivation. This hypothesis was confirmed after the students had finished writing and revising three original stories while utilizing three separate revision strategies. The…

A literature review focused on ways for teachers to increase students' motivation. A total of 37 annotations were organized in terms of positive and negative effects of rewards on students' motivation, the issue of whether negative effects of rewards can be manipulated to have a positive effect, and suggestions for the classroom teacher on the use…

Reported is an investigation of the effects of influenced teacher and student expectations on student performance in 10th grade science. A sample of 216 students, after having been sectioned by courses and ability levels using school procedures, was randomly assigned to either a high or control student expectancy group. Each of these groups was…

This report describes a program for motivating primary students to improve their writing skills. The targeted population consists of first and second grade students located in a large urban area. The need for improving writing skills is evidenced by classroom teacher observations, class participation, writing assessments, and student journals.…

This report describes a program for improving the transfer of the learning of different techniques used in computer applications. The targeted population consisted of sophomores and juniors in a suburban high school in a middle class community. The problem was documented through teacher surveys, student surveys, anecdotal records and behavioral…

This report describes a plan for using the multiple intelligences to increase student motivation. The target population consisted of a sixth grade reading class in a rural setting, and second, fourth, and fifth grade students in a pullout ESL (English-as-a-Second-Language) program in an urban setting. The lack of motivation became evident as…

This action research project report examined strategies to motivate students from extrinsically rewarding behaviors to intrinsically motivating behaviors. The action research was conducted in two different schools by four different teacher researchers within the same district. Three teachers in an elementary building (Site A) and one teacher in a…

This report describes a program for the advancement of student writing skills. The targeted population consisted of elementary school students in a growing middle class community, located in a suburb of a large Midwestern city. The problem of low writing scores was documented in student writing samples, teaching observations, and scores from the…

The purposes of this study were to provide a system of classification of the motivational characteristics of the high-risk student, to submit this system to instructors of a selected sample of high-risk students for their classification of the students, to test the reliability of the raters by an analysis of variance formula, and to design a…

This report describes a plan for maximizing the learning potential of exceptionally gifted secondary students. The targeted 52 eleventh grade students are members of a high school American Studies program located in a community 50 miles from a large Midwestern city. The issue of unfulfilled learning potential of the students was documented through…

Three teacher researchers conducted research to help motivate, encourage, and raise achievement of all students involved in the study. There were three fifth-grade classes involved of approximately 30 students per class, ages 10-11. The elementary school involved is located in Bolingbrook, Illinois: Wood View Elementary. The researchers conducted…

A study examined the impact of song writing, dramatization, and performance on third graders' ability to learn and retain social studies concepts. Students (n=18) were taught a unit on natural land forms and bodies of water in which they dramatized and performed songs which incorporated the main ideas of each unit. Upon completion of each unit,…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a portfolio program for assessing student performance. The targeted population consisted of elementary and middle grade students in two schools. The inadequacy of traditional evaluation methods was documented by means of parent and staff surveys. Common discrepancies were found in student…

Under Phase II of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, eligible legalized aliens (ELAs) can become lawful permanent residents (LPRs) if they demonstrate English language competency or show that they are satisfactorily pursuing a course of study to obtain English language skills. Certain English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs have been…

This paper reports on a project created to improve high school students' academic success. Students in three schools in the suburbs south of Chicago were targeted. Lack of student success was attributed to several probable causes: teacher-student relationships, curriculum relevance and choice, family issues, teacher expectations, lack of…