Presents guidance program for fourth through sixth graders. Focuses on developing pride in and awareness of cultural differences as ways of building positive school community that enhances student achievement and high self-esteem. Notes that program encourages integration of minority populations, promotes awareness and appreciation for cultural…

This cross-cultural study tests a model of motivation on children's learning. Participating in the study are 805 Chinese students and 740 Canadian students. Students answered survey questions related to their perceptions of parents and teachers as well as their motivation orientations and the perceived level of control in learning; their homeroom…

Examined effects of amount of television viewing, socioeconomic status, study habits, and home environment on sixth-graders' achievement in reading, mathematics, and written expression. Found, among other results, that students who viewed more than six hours of television per day had sharply lower achievement scores in all three content areas. (PD)

Explored how fifth and sixth graders' perceptions of parenting, teaching, and school differed by maternal employment status. Found that self-competence of students with nonemployed mothers was associated with parents' achievement values; self-competence of students with employed mothers was associated with parents' school involvement. Children of…

Experiments with 12 sixth-grade students doing mathematics assignments and 9 students doing reading assignments under differing conditions of radio and television distraction indicate no sizable distractor effects on time studying, accuracy of computation or reading comprehension, and reading rate. Results are consistent with the conceptualization…

This study examined gender differences in laterality, socialization, and educational achievement in fourth graders and determined which characteristics predicted mathematical and language achievement. The participants were four fourth grade classes comprised of 32 boys and 45 girls at an elementary school in a small rural town. Measures used were…

Three dimensions of parent style--autonomy support, involvement, and provision of structure--were studied using 64 mothers and 50 fathers of children in grades 3 through 6. Focus was on defining parental influences on children's school-related adjustment and performance. The three aspects of home environment were differentially associated with…

A study of fourth graders and their parents was conducted to determine the relationship between parents' locus of control and their children's locus of control, anxiety, intelligence, achievement, and behavioral adjustment. The relationship between mothers' locus of control and children's characteristics was more consistent than between fathers…

This paper describes a study that aimed to identify parental academic achievement and participation in their children's school as the primary motivators for children's academic achievement. Participants included 213 third and fourth graders from a Catholic School in Chicago. Two groups were randomly selected from records provided by the school.…

A study was done to determine what principals, teachers, parents, and children identify as the educational requirements and resources necessary to promote the educational success of Latino children. Four Boston (Massachusetts) elementary schools, all with large Latino student enrollments, were selected for the purposes of the study. Information…

Studies suggest that the transition to middle school is associated with a decline in motivation and performance for a number of children. This longitudinal study examined changes in motivation in English and mathematics across and after the transition from elementary to middle school. Of particular interest were changes in personal goal…

The effects on selected student outcomes are evaluated after 2 years of operation of Project RAISE, a multifaceted approach to helping at-risk students featuring outside adults as school-based advocates and one-on-one mentors at seven middle schools in Baltimore (Maryland). Seven community sponsoring groups (churches, universities, businesses, and…