The purpose of the research program described here was to investigate college students' approaches to learning, and to determine the extent to which these reflected the effects of teaching and assessment demands rather than representing relatively stable characteristics of the individual learners. There were six main areas within the program: (1)…

Previous research has suggested that extrinsic rewards operate to decrease intrinsic motivation to perform a task when they are offered for an initially intrinsically motivating task and then removed. To determine the initial intrinsic motivation of studying, 170 Canadian community college students were divided into one control and four treatment…

Through interview and questionnaire, this study examined the success of Brigham Young University's Indian education program by comparing it with Rouche's 11 elements of successful programs for low-achieving students. About 40% of Brigham Young's Indian students achieved bachelor's degrees, compared to 10% in comparable programs. The 19 faculty…

A survey was conducted at Indiana University-Bloomington to provide (1) normative data for identifying common adjustment problems of the first enrollment experience of 265 of the Educational Opportunity Program (GROUPS) students, and (2) student evaluations of potential areas of the program that need administrative attention and/or redesigning. a…

A study of community college students' use of educational support systems was conducted at the City Colleges of Chicago. The study sought to determine: (1) the level of usage of formal support systems (e.g., teachers, class participation, counselors, tutors, libraries, and other learning resources); (2) the level of usage of informal support…

In this manual for minority students in higher education, advice is provided on the following topics: (1) methods of self personality assessment, including lists, questions, and flow charts; (2) suggestions for budgeting study time in an individual schedule; (3) relaxation techniques to combat anxiety; (4) methods of self-management in cases of…

This report, one of a series which will become chapters of a larger study entitled "A Study of Our Nation's Students" (see TM 000 145 and TM 000 182), concerns itself with total variation between students (T), within school variation (W), and among school variability (A) in the dependent variables (Expectations for Excellence, Attitude…

A study of 150 college students' attribution of academic success examined the relative importance of 12 categories of factors: study habits, course content, teacher, social factors, interest, motivation, ability, domestic security, peers, luck, financial security, and health. (MSE)

A study of 170 foreign university students in the Netherlands shows that while their success rate was similar to native students', it took them more time to complete examinations, and language proficiency and home-country selection procedures were major factors in achievement. Implications for foreign student policy are explored, and a mentor…

Assesses the role of autonomous self-regulation as a predictor of academic procrastination. Maintains that academic procrastination is often a motivational problem related to fear of failure. Reveals that students with intrinsic reasons for studying procrastinate less than those with less autonomous reasons (for example, external regulation). (MJP)

The achievement gap, traditionally measured by test scores, also can be documented by dropout behavior. Examining dropout behavior among Black, White, and Hispanic students, with a particular focus on gaps within groups and not just between Whites and minorities, shows a clearer picture of the achievement gap. The results of our study show…

The relationship between test preparation and academic performance on a high school graduation test was studied using data from the 1995-96 Louisiana Graduation Exit Examination (GEE). Test preparation was measured based on students' responses concerning whether they prepared well for the test or not. Academic performance was measured through five…

Positive relationships between student study behaviors and academic achievement were examined in this extension of a large-scale Far West Laboratory project. Participants were 196 college students drawn from 28 sections of an introductory psychology course over a 4-semester period, involving 12 instructors. Subjects' activities and allocation of…

Using the California Achievement Test, Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes, and Tennessee Self Concept Scale, 210 high- and low-achieving migrant Spanish-surnamed students in grades seven, nine, and eleven from 2 Oklahoma and 4 Texas school districts were tested for achievement and grade level differences in study habits, study attitudes, and…

The significance of family background (FB) and school factors (SO) in predicting differences among students in their achievement and motivation in different regions of the country (North-South) and areas of residence (metropolitan-nonmetropolitan) is investigated. A statistical test of the equality of slopes and intercepts was used for the FB and…