Among teachers and parents who avoid punishing children, many turn instead to the use of rewards. However, as with punishment, the offer of rewards can elicit temporary compliance but is no more effective at helping children become responsible people or self-directed learners. Extrinsic motivators, such as rewards, do not alter commitments that…

This 2-year study examined the relative potency of locus of control (LOC) and motivational orientation (MO) as predictors of standardized achievement scores and learned helplessness. Also tested was the prediction that children with an extrinsic MO would be prone to adopt an external LOC over time. In the first year of the study, subjects were 158…

This study examined the role of motivational factors on the academic achievement of children in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. Four motivational factors were assessed: the child's motivational attributions, motivational goal orientation, self-perception, and mastery-oriented behaviors in the classroom. Mastery-oriented behaviors include being…

This paper adopts a Christian perspective in a self-reflexive analysis of Steven Covey and his popular self-help book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People." It opens by giving a brief overview of the author, describes his guiding idea of "principle-centered learning," and then discusses the book's spiritual foundations.…

In multigrade instruction, children of at least a 2-year grade span and diverse ability levels are grouped in a single classroom and share experiences involving intellectual, academic, and social skills. "The Multigrade Classroom" is a seven-book series that provides an overview of current research on multigrade instruction, identifies…

Discusses the effects of different motivational orientations on students with learning disabilities and the variables affecting intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Instructional recommendations are made for enhancing academic intrinsic motivation, including involving students in the learning process, responding positively and praising students,…

This study of four students (ages 10-13) with mental retardation evaluated a combination audio/visual self-prompting system with an electronic, augmentative communication device that uses picture overlays and recorded speech to increase independent task completion. Results indicated a substantial difference in performance when the self-prompting…

Discusses the negative aspects of publicly praising children's positive behavior, noting that, although on the surface praise seems to be an effective technique, it works superficially and temporarily. Suggests that a more productive method would be to support what children have done and at the same time help them to evaluate themselves. Proposes…

An activity called "validationgram" derived from Ishiyama's model of self-validation is described. It is a visual activity of mapping sources of validation in four domains: relationships, activities, things, and places. It is proposed that validationgram is useful in exploring client's world of meanings, feelings, and values. (JBJ)

Researchers measured the constructs of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for college students' learning, examining self-assessed motivation, composite ACT score, and grade point average (GPA). Extrinsic motivation more strongly (though negatively) predicted GPA. There was a significant positive relationship between GPA and intrinsic motivation.…

A French measure of motivation toward education was cross-culturally validated in English with 745 Canadian university students. Results demonstrate satisfactory internal consistency and temporal stability for the English version, the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). A LISREL confirmatory factor analysis confirms the seven-factor structure of the…

Two studies with 277 intermediate grade students (106 males, 107 females, and 64 males and females) show that motivational orientations, measured by the scale of S. Harter (1981), are not distributed similarly across gender but that girls are more likely to be extrinsically motivated and influenced by adult feedback. (SLD)

Parents of 50 children (ages 5-12) with mental retardation reviewed hypothetical need situations associated with their child's retardation and rated the likelihood that they would help themselves or seek external help. Mothers' help-seeking behavior seemed to be affected by ego considerations whereas fathers' help-seeking behavior was…

Develops previous research by examining the roles of parent and teacher in the biographies of young music students. Confirms earlier findings that support by both parent and teacher motivates initial music learning and adds that over time motivation becomes intrinsic and self-sustaining. Examines the implications for music education. (DSK)

Investigated how students' perceptions of teachers' communicative style related to students' extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, examining links between these variables and various language-learning outcomes (effort, anxiety, and language competence). Students in a French immersion course completed questionnaires. Perceptions of teacher's…