The Involvement in Subject Learning Scale (ISLS) was developed and validated as an educational outcome measure to be used in assessing higher education quality. The origins and development of the scale, its factor analysis, potential applications, limitations, and pilot use in France and Quebec (Canada) are described. The instrument is appended.…

A study of learning conditions in two universities included staff interviews, survey of 118 students, and in-depth interviews of 11 students. Their perceptions of program design, instructional resources and support, and visual and physical aspects of the institutions resulted in recommended practices to maximize student learning and motivation.…

Motivation to study French was examined among first-year students using an extrinsic/intrinsic dichotomy approach to classify motivations. Students were found to be motivated by a wide variety of reasons, with personal or intrinsic reasons dominating. (Contains five references.) (Author/LB)

Studies variables affecting language achievement at school by examining attitudes of 273 non-language students toward language learning in terms of enjoyment, ease of vocabulary and grammar learning, and satisfaction with teachers. Although less than half the students enjoyed their school experience, many expressed a desire to learn a foreign…

A survey of student use of audio recordings of lectures at universities revealed that students valued the opportunity to listen to the lectures they missed; fewer students sought academic staff to ask questions; students made copies of the recordings away from the library, which reduced pressure on library facilities; and few students deliberately…

Research and theory suggest that college students' motivation to learn is related to their epistemological beliefs. Faculty can promote student motivation by designing learning activities that facilitate student development of more sophisticated epistemological beliefs. Faculty developers can assist in this by giving special attention to the…

Using a questionnaire, this study examined Jordanian undergraduate students attitudes toward learning the Hebrew language. Results show that students express a neutral, guarded attitude toward Jewish language and culture. In general, the results indicate the importance of learning Hebrew and suggest that learning is intrinsically motivated.…

Examines learner attitudes toward classroom learning of English, with particular focus on collectivism versus individualism, attitudes towards authority, and types of achievement motivation. Data are collected from eight Asian and three European countries. Although many attitudinal differences occur between individual countries, striking…

Looks at the attitudes and motivation of Hungarian children between the ages of 6 and 14. Examines why they think they study a foreign language, how they feel about learning English in relation to other subjects, and what activities they like and dislike. (Author/VWL)

Investigates a first-year undergraduate program in TESOL consisting of three strands: a language-based course, a theme-based course, and a sheltered-content course. Learners rated different aspects of their development in language, skills, and strategies--as well as motivational factors--over two semesters. Author/VWL)

This study investigated differences and shifts in learning and motivation constructs among male and female students in a nonmajors, yearlong structured inquiry college physics course and examined how these variables were related to physics understanding and course achievement. Tests and questionnaires measured students' learning approaches,…

Given the decline in French majors and enrollments in French junior year study abroad programs, educators have increasingly turned to short-term study abroad for first- and second-year students. These programs can motivate students fulfilling the language requirement, while also internationalizing the curriculum through interdisciplinary and…

In the last decades of the 20th century lifelong learning became a key concept for solving social and economic problems in highly industrialized countries. Lifelong learning was the societal response to conditions in a rapidly changing economic world. Humans have always learned in the normal course of their lives, but this learning was informal.…

Online learning is here to stay. Many studies have examined factors that facilitate online learning in many disciplines, but few exist on counselor training. This research surveyed online counseling graduate students for factors that they found facilitative. Instructor characteristics such as frequency of participation in discussion forums,…

Collaborating closely with a 10th-grade science teacher, we designed a Web-based learning environment (Web-LE) to improve student motivation to learn science. Factors believed to enhance intrinsic motivation (challenge, control, curiosity, and fantasy) were integrated into the instructional design of the Web-based learning tool. The Web-LE was…