This report describes the outcomes of a one-year federally funded pilot study of 14 students with low vision or blindness (grades 3-6) and 13 teachers. The study was designed to generate practical classroom assessment procedures for measuring "learned helplessness" and recommendations for a conceptual intervention model for use in the classroom.…

In 1976, suicides in the 15-24 year-old group (N=4,747) made up over 17% of all suicides in all age groups (N=26,750). In 1968, adolescent suicides (N=2,591) were only 12% of the total (N=21,000). Adolescent suicide rate is alarming unless put into perspective with the accident rate and the cultural belief in individual rights, responsibility, and…

This report discusses a study of 31 postsecondary students (20 males and 11 females) with learning disabilities (LD) and/or with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) that examined college achievement and attributional styles. Students completed a combined Academic Attributional Style and Coping with Academic Failures Questionnaire.…

The concept of an individual's perception of control was applied to the classroom performance of university students. The initial approach was to use a laboratory simulation of a university classroom to explore the following: (1) whether it is possible to induce feelings of helplessness in a university classroom; (2) effects that feelings of…

A study involving 697 male and 765 female ninth and twelfth graders was undertaken to assess learned helplessness in attribution patterns associated with personal failure. Although significant gender differences were identified, little evidence was obtained supporting the learned helplessness model for adolescent female achievement motivation.…

For children, environmental issues have become part of their formal and informal educational lives. The merging of the terms environment and education in the 1970s has also witnessed an emerging degree of pessimism through bringing the plight of the environment to the educational arena of children. Much of the discourse surrounding sustainable…

A study examining causes of work avoidance interviewed 20 work-avoidant students in grades 6 and 7 from 3 schools in Newfoundland (Canada). Students withdrew effort because they were bored, as an expression of hostility toward the teacher, or because of feelings of helplessness. Implications for teacher practice and school policies are discussed.…

An exploratory study examined the origins of children's motivational patterns in the family by observing 10 helpless and 11 mastery-oriented third graders. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that mothers of mastery children may socialize their children's achievement motivation. (SLD)

This paper summarizes an investigation of a specific set of findings from the Monitoring the Future project, an annual survey of the attitudes and values of high school seniors that has occurred since 1975. The findings investigated relate to indicators of anxiety among these students about the threat of nuclear war. The study developed two…

Field observations of and interviews with 13 low-skilled 6th graders in physical education indicated that they all exhibited symptoms of learned helplessness. Students had knowledge of being low-skilled, and they experienced teachers communicating low expectations to them. Students were unwilling to expend effort to learn skills, so they were…

Employing learned helplessness theory as a trait orientation, a study examined the interrelationships existing between instructor classroom behaviors, student perceptions of control, and student behavioral responses in the college classroom. Subjects, 317 male and female undergraduate students who were enrolled in communication courses at West…

On measures of ability to improve writing quality, motivation to write, confidence in writing, and attitudes toward writing, 29 middle level students classified as mastery oriented consistently scored higher than 21 students classified as helpless. The 66 students classified as neither mastery oriented nor helpless had mean scores between the…

The teaching behavior and instructional methods of elementary school teachers were investigated to determine whether teachers with positive attitudes toward mathematics employ different methods in mathematics instruction than those with negative attitudes. Overall, teachers with negative attitudes employed methods that fostered dependency whereas…

This research sought to determine the particular teacher interventions that six aggressive adolescents (ages 14.09-17.07 years) perceived as most effective in helping them to develop their academic and social skills in mainstreamed classrooms. Student interviews and classroom observations provided the data for analysis. Student characteristics and…

A case study of one female middle school student examined her tendency toward learned helplessness. Observations and interviews with the student and her teachers indicated that she lacked confidence; her belief that she could not change her intellectual and social situation was pervasive. Approaches to intervention are discussed. (SM)