Research supported by a National Science Foundation Institutional Grant.

One does not teach writing, one learns writing which is to say that the role of the teacher is to help the student learn by actually writing. However, crucial to writing is the preparatory step with which the teacher can help: motivation. That is, students who know why they are writing and to whom they are writing can write with an intensity not…

Academic performance appears to be influenced by the combined effects of at least seven important variables: 1) inherited capacity to learn, 2) learning experiences, 3) external resources, 4) attitude toward teachers, 5) perceptions of teacher expectations and values, 6) perceptions of the future utility of schooling, and 7) self-concept of…

Compares a family relations class composed of dating couples with a similar family relations class composed on noncouples, with regard to their learning course material and their attitude toward the class. Results indicate that the couples group demonstrated better knowledge of course materials. (Author)

This speech, delivered to the General Session of the National Association of College Stores Annual Meeting, discusses the change in student attitudes and the consequent need for quality textbooks with sensible readability and human interest levels. (JMD)

Keeping a journal of classroom experiences can help students express their understandings of the concepts they learn in school and how the lessons relate to their own lives. An eight-item reference list is provided. (Author)

Motivating music students to practice is a perennial concern for teachers and parents. Behavioral contracts, in which the teacher or parent guarantees a certain reward in return for the student completing a designated task, is one solution. How to construct a contract is discussed. A sample contract is included. (RM)

An attempt was made to compare Indian and Australian students' answers to questions concerning their attitudes to teachers, courses, choice of occupations and their beliefs in certain aspects of proverbial wisdom. (Author/RK)

Author discusses attitudes of students who are accustomed to learning as entertainment'', and the implications for college teachers. (SP)

Research on the application of descriptions of student learning to normal methods of studying is discussed, and a study is reported that examines student learning in actual working situations. It is concluded that learning styles and strategies apply to students in particular situations rather than to individual students per se. (Author/JMD)

Finds substantial agreement between teachers and students on the range of overall factors affecting motivation; the sharp division between motivation as a personally-owned state and demotivation as a teacher-owned problem reported by students was not apparent across the teachers' perceptions; and differences among teachers in perceptions of their…

Introduces extensive reading as a way of improving students' attitudes and motivation toward English-as-a-Foreign-Language reading as well as improving their proficiency in reading and their English language ability. (Author/VWL)

Until students have a much clearer idea of what a good education is and how it can be gained from what they are asked to do in school, they will not work hard. Beginning slowly, teachers must begin to demand higher quality work of their students. (MSE)