The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between motivation and academic success for community college freshmen orientation students. Moreover, the study compared the relationship among specific motivational factors of students classified as either academically prepared or underprepared, as determined by ACT/ASSET scores.…

A model computer learning center with hardware, software, training, and support components was established to serve as an integral part of the instructional process in Head Start classrooms. The center was found to be a positive force in promoting computer activities, but long-term training and curriculum modifications are needed. (LB)

As part of an effort to determine causes for student attrition, Virginia's Patrick Henry Community College (PHCC) conducted a study of 327 students in credit English courses in fall 1993. Students were administered a modified version of the Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire, which included 16 additional questions developed by…

National standards published in 1995 addressed the importance of foreign language education and identified five goal areas: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. This study incorporated these five goals and examined the potential of electronic mail in foreign language learning. In addition, it looked at cultural…

The use of performance assessment for instruction and accountability and the support for its use provided by the school district were studied in three suburban school districts in Colorado, New York, and Illinois. Two were elementary and secondary districts, but the Illinois district was a high school district. All three districts have employed…

This study examined motivational determinants of academic delay of gratification (ADOG) with 196 undergraduate college students at a large midwestern university. Students completed the academic delay of gratification scale, in which students are presented with 10 hypothetical situations and they indicate their preference among options offering…

This paper describes research into the nature of the achievement goals and values held by students from Window Rock High School on the Navajo Reservation (Arizona). It examines the compatibility of these student-held goals and values with goals and values promoted by classrooms and schools, and the impact individual, family, peer, class, and…

A practicum was designed to motivate primary students to increase the quantity and improve the quality of their writing. Publication of student works was the prime motivating factor. Other objectives were to develop in students a more positive attitude toward writing and gain the agreement of teachers that the publishing of their students' written…

The course selected for the creative approach was History and Philosophy of Early Childhood Education, an offering in the Department of Human Development. The subjects were 58 undergraduates in 3 classes. The creative approach required innovative student team presentations on seven early childhood education programs, and offered the choice of an…

In 1982-83, a study was undertaken at the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) to ascertain the attributes and learning processes of high-achieving students of relatively low aptitude so that these attributes and processes might be taught to other students to improve their achievement. Interviews were conducted with 26 CCC students who belonged to or…

A study was conducted to identify the long-range goals of students at Essex Community College (ECC) and Catonsville Community College (CCC) in Maryland to determine whether transfer students represented a dominant cohort in these institutions. Age, gender, and attendance patterns were also examined as functions of long-range goals. A questionnaire…

Theoretical and practical guidance is provided to anyone involved in teaching, curriculum development, or program planning for writing instruction for adult students. A broad range of situations in which adults learn to write are explored. Three parts include 13 chapters on the following topics: (1) understanding the distinctiveness of adult…

To study the effects of motivation on cognition, 55 fifth- and sixth-grade students were randomly assigned to 3 motivational treatment groups: (1) ego-involved (ability oriented); (2) task-involved (mastery oriented); and (3) control (no orientation). The ego-involvement treatment attempted to make subjects feel that their abilities on the tasks…

This issue of "Forum for Reading" contains four essays of interest to reading instructors at two-year colleges. Joan Gregg, Beth Pacheco, and Serena Nanda discuss the benefits for students of providing thematic unity in reading courses. The essay considers the selection of a theme, such as rebellion, identity, or family, that will lend…

The document presents Module 7, gifted/talented students among the disabled, of the Star Power modules developed for school personnel who have an interest in or a need to explore the area of gifted and talented education. It is explained in an introductory section that the modules can be used for independent study, for small group interaction, or…