Defines the concept of autonomous learning. Presents the Strategies Program for Effective Learning/Thinking (SPELT), including its underlying assumptions, instructional model, teacher training procedures, research findings, and anticipated future development. Research results include implications for learning-disabled and gifted students. (KS)

H. Szechtman and E. Woody proposed that obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is caused by a malfunctioning brain security motivation system. In the current article, the authors' review of the model suggests that it is limited in the following ways: (a) It is built on a selective review of the empirical literature, (b) it offers no explanation for…

The author describes his program of research over the past 25 years. This research falls into 6 areas that are interdependent and that inform each other. The overall program is guided by 3 bioecological principles that posit the need for proximal processes and motivation to actualize biological potential. The author presents examples of…

Discusses a two-year action research study conducted at a high school that transformed reluctant students into lifelong readers by emphasizing intrinsic motivation as opposed to programs that use rewards to motivate students to read. Explains how to design an action research question. (LRW)

Strategies to promote student empowerment in the nursing practicum at Clarkson college include having students (1) select practicum sites; (2) write learning contracts; (3) choose clients to care for; (4) evaluate themselves with weekly logs; (5) read nursing literature; and (6) present a one-hour seminar. (SK)

Inspired by William Glasser's Reality Therapy ideas, Control Theory (CT) is a disciplinary approach that stresses people's ability to control only their own behavior, based on internal motivations to satisfy five basic needs. At one North Dakota high school, CT-trained teachers are the program's best recruiters. (MLH)

Only 25 percent of Americans participate in recommended levels of physical activity, despite the health benefits associated with physical activity. Physical activity promotion is an important public health issue. Several research studies indicate that physical activity interventions using theoretical frameworks such as the Stages of Motivational…

Describes a one-day workshop developed at the University of Sydney (Australia) to facilitate social and study-related peer networks. Qualitative and quantitative analyses found that the workshops enhanced study, self-motivation, and general enjoyment of university life and were helpful in easing the transition of undergraduate students.…

In this paper we draw on the high-profile, project-based, self-managed career of New Zealand film-maker Peter Jackson, which reflects an accumulation of knowledge creating an example of a new style of career, transforming the industry environment around him. We consider his career capital through three key "ways of knowing" that comprise…

Research on multimedia learning has produced a vast body of findings which, however, are not yet being integrated into a comprehensive framework of reference. For a considerable time, cognitive centered approaches have dominated the literature. Although motivational variables are now being taken into account, there is still a large gap in regard…

This article describes a balance theory of wisdom and applies the theory to the context of schooling. First the article discusses why cognitive skills as assessed by conventional tests are an important, but not a sufficient, basis for education. Second the article discusses the concept of wisdom and why it is important for schooling. Third the…

Explains the CAM (Clarity, Awareness, Merit Recognition) process for performance reviews in which supervisors declare personal values, expectations, and operational methods; select employee skills for enhancement and define results; provide feedback, recognition and reinforcement; and distribute merit rewards and build deeper mutual commitments to…

Although everybody agrees that education reform is needed, there is little agreement on the nature of the problems, and certainly not on the remedies; nevertheless, there is a central focus on curriculum issues. Three principal points are addressed in this paper: (a) new approaches in education are urgently needed, (b) new educational approaches…

Student engagement, a crucial school restructuring issue for the 1990s, comprises interventions that channel the need for competence toward academic success, offer students increased access to extrinsic rewards, cultivate study of intrinsically interesting and invaluable material, provide consistent social support, and maximize student ownership…

This concise report explores the issue of student reading motivation, and relates it to the use of the Accelerated Reader (AR) reading management program. The report discusses issues of extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation, and notes that the points students earn for taking Accelerated Reader tests are not extrinsic rewards but simply a…