Suggests a new conceptualization of homework as a task that infiltrates family and peer dynamics and the nature of teaching in community organizations and in school. Argues that homework has important benefits for peer communication, thereby increasing a sense of community. Asserts that students can develop an aptitude for future homework from the…

A fundamental characteristic of a successful physical education program is that the students are interested and motivated to learn the intended objectives. Unfortunately, in many cases, students begin losing interest in physical education as they progress through school. In order to better understand this phenomenon, the authors explored the…

This article contextualizes the work of the late educational anthropologist John Ogbu in terms of uniquely American narratives that have explanatory and motivational value for different segments of the US population. The narrative Ogbu championed has explanatory value among several educational researchers, and is consistent with an ethnic…

Struggling adolescent readers need interventions that provide them with opportunities to read more and to read better. The authors examine two case studies of interventions at work and propose criteria on which to evaluate intervention programs. Their review of the evidence on these programs for struggling adolescent readers suggests that at least…

A review of literature and a survey of 218 adult students (44% return) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, revealed a surprisingly large number (about one-third) of reentry students are those labeled "established." They are married, 30-50 years old, likely to have children, and live in a dual worker/career marriage within…

An examination is made into the possible reasons for underachievement in higher education, on the theory that personological variables such as persistence and diplomacy may contribute as much to success as I.Q. points. Various lists are provided of the salient factors, and their explanations, that contribute to underachievement, as proposed by…

European studies that investigated motivational and contextual influences on students' approaches to learning are reviewed. The studies used both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Both interviews with students and factor analysis of inventories have assessed deep and surface approaches to learning. In some studies, learning approaches in…

The monograph summarizes research on students' beliefs or ideas about: (1) teachers' instructional behavior, (2) cognitive processes used during instruction, (3) differential treatment by teachers, (4) attributions for student performance, and (5) classroom learning environments. Students' cognitions or thought processes during instruction are…

This article discusses the role of perceived self-efficacy during classroom learning of cognitive skills. Self-efficacy refers to personal judgments of performance capabilities in a given domain of activity. Students enter classroom activities with various aptitudes and prior experiences, which affect their initial sense of self-efficacy for…

Race and socioeconomic class differences in children's reading performance are influenced by social and motivational factors. For example, children from poverty backgrounds are more likely to attribute success to conditions outside personal control, and thus do not experience as much pride in achievement as middle class students who have learned…

Science fairs are held in many elementary, junior high, and high schools. Typically they are thought of as a competitive event where students display science projects. Publications occasionally print accounts of successful science fairs, but these articles are usually based on opinions rather than on research. The purpose of this study is to…

The causal relationship among adult literacy, social evolution, and economic development has traditionally made adult literacy programs a priority in developing nations. To develop effective adult literacy programs, educational planners must consider a variety of linguistic, cultural, economic, and political needs. First of all, planners must…

Effective curriculum is based on a mastery learning model. According to Carroll's mastery learning model, learning rate is partially a function of student "perseverance" or time on task, which is in turn determined by a learner's entering repertoire and the quality of instruction. Although the mastery-learning model looks simple, its execution is…

College students who have clear goals for careers in engineering, management, law, medicine, and teaching have a pressing need to become proficient in writing, speaking, listening, and reading. While they should continue the reading and analysis of imaginative literature that they began in high school, they should also develop their latent powers…

Ninth-grade Francophone students (N=95) living in a bicultural milieu responded to tests including scales of ethnolinguistic vitality, attitudes, motivation, self-confidence, and second language competence and usage. Analyses indicated that contact with Anglophones and self-confidence with English as a second language were related to motivation,…