Describes a method for re-enacting presidential elections as a classroom activity, stressing the importance of student involvement in learning. Provides a way to structure each election for classroom instruction and suggests some of the more significant elections to study. Includes a number of nineteenth century election songs as examples of…

This issue of the quarterly newsletter, "PLAINTalk," is the second in a four part series, reprinting chapters from Sharon and Craig Ramey's book, "Going to School." Other articles in this issue include: (1) Ten Hallmarks of Children Who Succeed in School (Craig T. Ramey and Sharon L. Ramey); (2) Questioning to Aid Reading Comprehension; (3) Basic…

Adult basic education (ABE) and literacy programs have used many different strategies and tools to recruit new students. A small sampling of Tennessee ABE programs shows the more effective recruitment strategies are word-of-mouth referrals; newspaper advertisements and articles; fliers; brochures; posters, radio messages, and public service…

This study examined the effects of individual differences, attitudes, past performances, and teaching behaviors on 286 undergraduate college students' achievement, attribution, affective, and motivational outcomes. The study was conducted at the University of Manitoba using a theoretical model based on Weiner's theory of achievement motivation.…

A discussion of the communicative approach in the second language classroom reasserts its value while highlighting some of the difficulties in implementing the approach: time constraints; difficulty in providing motivation for communication in the more formal language registers; potential imbalance in emphasis on oral and written communication…

This paper focuses on the role of self-evaluation during self-regulated learning. After a discussion of the social cognitive theory of self-regulation, self-efficacy, and achievement goals, two studies of fourth graders who were learning fraction skills and one ongoing research project with college students enrolled in their first computer class…

One of the current trends in education is the use of reward systems to motivate students. Students are being motivated by cash and other prizes for high grades, attendance, and good behavior. If this trend continues, educators may lose sight of the need to motivate students internally and to find better teaching methods to accomplish this goal.…

A Texas study examined what individual learning and/or other needs were identified by adult basic education (ABE) students. It also assessed ABE teachers' propensity to identify the same student needs and determined if these needs were met within the ABE program. A literature review focused on learner types, past experience, program development,…

Student academic motivation and student evaluation of overall faculty effectiveness and instructional techniques at Barber-Scotia College were studied to identify the academically underprepared and unmotivated students. Students provided assessments concerning the impact of the college's course offerings, the effectiveness of their instructors,…

A summary is presented of the literature on motivation relating to achievement in the classroom. Special attention is given to how values, ideology, and various cultural patterns may serve to enhance motivation to achieve in the classroom. In considering what determines motivation and personal investment in educational pursuits, the following…

The prerequisites of language acquisition are cognitive and pragmatic. The child's conceptual development and social needs direct his attention to particular linguistic forms. These provide an efficient selection device enabling the child to match his language learning task with his abilities. The second language learner who is cognitively and…

Viewing the myth of Sisyphus as a metaphor for the vast numbers of high school students and teachers who go through daily school rituals unable to discover personal meaning in their work, this report applies the existential philosophy of Albert Camus and other existentialists to the methodology of Teaching and learning English in high schools. The…

Motivation has been called the most important variable in foreign language learning. Of the possible motivators, that of desire for integration with the culture of speakers of the language correlates most highly with learning success. American Indian students are faced with the need to integrate to a certain extent with speakers of English. Their…

This study took place in a sixth grade math class at Webber Middle School in Saginaw, Michigan. A literature review indicated that a classroom that students perceive as safe, supportive of their autonomy, and of their learning increases intrinsic motivation. With this in mind, the author created a study, which would look for connections between…

To determine relative levels of motivation in learning English as a Second Language, 40 freshman and sophomores at 2 national universities in mainland China and Japan responded to a 40-point attitudinal questionnaire and 6-point followup motivational intensity scale. Data on student language proficiency were also gathered. While a solid majority…