Four studies were conducted to determine the effect of motivational characteristics on the English achievement of French-speaking Canadians. An attitude/motivation battery covering 38 variables was administered to 304 secondary school students in Montreal. A factor analysis was performed which reveals four dimensions: integrative motive,…

To motivate slow learners and discipline-problem pupils to improve their writing skills, a reinforcement program was developed in Baltimore, Maryland, modeled on an earlier program which created a school environment operated like the business world. Upon successful completion of assigned tasks, the experimental group, 24 eighth graders, were given…

This study, which concerns the impact of Harcum Junior College on student learning, considers the average improvement of a sample of students in a series of skills-achievement measures. It is concluded that students who complete transfer curricula receive effective preparation for continued study in a four year institution. (DLG)

THE RELATIONSHIP OF REACTIVE INHIBITION TO TEST PERFORMANCE AND TO ACHIEVEMENT IN READING, SPELLING, AND HANDWRITING WAS STUDIED. IN THIS STUDY, AS IN PREVIOUS WORK DONE BY HALL (1943), REACTIVE INHIBITION IS DEFINED AS THE ACCUMULATION OF A GRADUAL DECREASE IN THE LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE THAT RESULTS FROM THE PERFORMANCE ITSELF. WHEN GIVEN A LOW…

Description of a validated computer assisted instruction (CAI) program (The Addition Tutorial) illustrates how four critical components for instruction--learning principles application to instructional design; sufficient database; adequate motivational system; and delivery system which provides teacher learning environment control--might be…

As schools evolve improvement plans in keeping with higher standards and expectations and increased accountability, most planners recognize they must include a comprehensive focus on addressing barriers to student learning and promoting healthy development. A growing volume of research on the value of schools, families, and communities working…

Shows that multimedia can provide Korean high school students with an interesting environment for learning English and can motivate them to study English more readily. Motivation is linked to higher grades on an English test. (Author/VWL)

Discusses a survey of more than 2,000 students from remedial and college-level reading and English classes that measured three key areas: self-concept, value, and reading strategies. Finds that: (1) developmental students were lacking in reading self-concept and valued reading less; (2) first-time students valued reading less than experienced…

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that contribute to individual differences in the school performance of 2nd-grade children born to adolescent mothers. The sample of this study was 90 low-income adolescent mothers and their children. Data were collected from the adolescent mothers and their first-born children, now in 2nd grade,…

The efficiency of the butterfly catastrophe model for describing and predicting performance changes in an educational setting was studied. Subjects were 455 introductory psychology students. Changes in performance on the first exam and three subsequent exams were examined, plus extra credit for participation in psychology experiments. The…

This report includes proceedings from the Family as Educators Conference which aimed (1) to clarify the roles parents have in supporting their children's achievement in literacy and motivation for school learning (i.e., attitudes affecting school work and attendance), and (2) to assess the viability of parents' educative roles in light of current…

College students in introductory foreign language courses (French, German, and Spanish) were the subjects of a study to determine what if any correlation exists between ability and motivation on the one hand and achievement on the other in learning a second language. The ability measure (predicted grade point average) was found to correlate…

This paper, presented at the 1979 meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), investigates the affective characteristics of 120 junior high school students who participated in one or both of the first two programs of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Project (MTYMP). The first year program of 1976-77 was in algebra I and…

A self directed learning system was developed, based on an earlier version of a computer based system; this revised system contains features designed to make it easier to use and improved pedagogical strategies. The experimental test described in this report was designed to separate the effects of training in self directed learning from the use of…

This report describes the work of the Study Methods Group, which uses qualitative research methodologies to determine how Open University students approach learning and why they adopt a particular approach. Research considers student orientation to learning, the relationship of learning outcomes to learning approach, and student development as…