A first-grade teacher included her students in her planning of a unit of study. The teacher explained to the students how she planned a unit and invited the students to volunteer ideas for the topic. The topic chosen was space and aliens. The teacher and students discussed what they already knew about the topic, what they wanted to learn about it,…

This paper reviews research on: (1) the significance of black colleges; (2) characteristics of white students attending black colleges; (3) barriers to recruiting white students on black campuses; and (4) strategies for recruiting white students. Reasons why white students attend historically black institutions and their levels of motivation, the…

Two classes of Mathematics 111 students at Malcolm X College participated in a study to test and evaluate a holistic instructional delivery system intended to significantly increase students' achievement scores, retention rate, and positive attitudes toward instruction. The 29 member control group received traditional instruction, while 29…

The purpose of this study was to test an experimental plan for improving attendance and achievement in an urban high school in order to determine its effects on the students. The plan for improving achievement and attendance was designed specifically to work effectively with the problems of inadequate student accountability, poor motivation within…

This action research project evaluated a program of activities to increase the engagement of high school students in their learning. The targeted population consisted of freshman, sophomore, and senior students in a middle class community in central Illinois. The lack of student engagement that posed a problem in academic progress was documented…

This report describes a program for improving academic productivity in an elementary school in Rockford, Illinois. Students were unmotivated, unproductive, and uninvolved in academic life, as measured by teacher observation and student behavior. Examination of teacher records revealed that the learning disabled or behavior disordered resource…

This study was designed to test school effects on verbal and math achievement, learning interests, self-concept, fate control, and post-high school plans of black high school students. Fifty eight matched pairs of black high school students from seven parochial and six public high schools in a large midwestern city were collectively and…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a plan to deal with students who lack enthusiasm about school and have difficulty in following classroom rules, keeping on task, and using appropriate social skills. The targeted population consisted of high school students in five industrial technology classes in a rural western Illinois…

High school students' lack of personal responsibility and academic ownership, negative or indifferent attitude, and lack of initiative and general motivation are often of concern to teachers and parents. This action research project evaluated an intervention to increase high school students' motivation, responsibility, and initiative. Students…

A study investigated whether teaching techniques and the use of self-evaluation tended to increase student motivation and second language proficiency. Subjects were 59 high school Honors Spanish 4 students with varying levels of academic ability, motivation, and proficiency, and included both non-native and English-dominant Spanish speakers. The…

Recognizing the relationship between homework completion and academic achievement, this action research project targeted eighth graders in all subject areas who failed to complete homework assignments and provided them with creative strategies to improve homework completion. Participating in the project were eighth graders from a small, suburban,…

Noting that poor social and emotional skills can interfere with academic growth of elementary school students, this action research project examined the impact of an intervention to improve students' emotional and social skills. Participating in the study were students from one fifth-grade public school class, one fifth-grade class in a private…

This action research project sought to increase motivation in second- and fourth-grade students in an urban Midwestern school. Achievement and skill measures as well as observations indicated a lack of student participation and interest. Three areas of intervention were implemented: cross-curricular activities to heighten student interest,…

This action research project examined the impact of using cooperative learning activities and multiple intelligences teaching techniques on the motivation of kindergartners and third graders at two elementary schools in a rural Illinois community. Over 50 percent of the school populations were low-income, and over 6 percent had limited English…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for increasing student motivation and interest in school to improve academic growth. The targeted population consisted of 37 high school students in a rural central Illinois community. Twenty-five students were in art classes and 12 were in child care classes. Anecdotal records,…