The program discussed in this paper was developed and implemented to improve student self motivation levels for a target group of 115 9th through 12th grade students who had classes with 1 of 4 participating teachers. Student self-motivation improvement activities were employed over a 12-week implementation period. Strategies developed were all…

A field study was conducted to investigate the effect of gender, and gender combined with other variables on within-term changes in junior college student motivation. Intrinsic motivation (IM) refers to doing an activity for the pleasure and satisfaction derived from participating. Extrinsic motivation (EM) refers to engaging in behaviors as a…

A research program identified the key factors that offer insights into students' intrinsic motivation traits. Objectives were to determine intrinsic motivation factors that influence special needs populations during their vocational training programs and their transition into employment and to determine how this information can be used to help…

This study used a Vygotskian perspective to compare child rearing values and beliefs of parents, especially in regard to self-directed activities of children, in the United States, Russia, and Estonia. Participating were 60 families, evenly divided by society and social class (middle or working class), each with a child between 28 and 45 months…

This paper is an in-depth investigation of classroom language learning motivation in a Korean high school. Understanding the source of motivation and development of motivation is very important for educational and pedagogical purposes. This study surveyed 192 Korean high school students' orientations for learning English to discover what kinds of…

Maintains that the mechanisms and learning strategies through which students learn the arts can be adapted into models of instruction for other subjects. Notes the many instances where students, particularly high-risk students, do well in arts education classes only to suffer through the more traditional curriculum. (MJP)

Considers recent investigations of conditions that promote forward-thinking in young people and their realization of personal goals. Discusses environmental affordance, environmental press, mediational strategies, consequence management, and resources for coping. Suggests ways educators may help individuals develop potentials for foresight and…

By procrastinating, allowing others to keep them from studying, deliberately not trying, and using other "self-handicapping" strategies, students can convey that those circumstances, rather than lack of ability, are the reasons for subsequent poor performance. Survey data from 256 eighth-grade students indicated that boys use those strategies more…

This study found that students using hypertext to learn technical information experienced an increased sense of control, and results provide preliminary evidence of an increased level of intrinsic motivation to learn among hypertext users. Implications for further research regarding the effects of hypermedia on intrinsic motivation are discussed.…

Studied concurrent and construct validities of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) (English translation of a scale developed in French) with 107 male and 110 female junior college students in Montreal (Canada) who completed the AMS and other motivation assessments. Findings support both concurrent and construct validity of the AMS. (SLD)

Validity of auto-stereotypes and heterostereotypes of Japanese and Americans is reflected in the rank-order correlations of "own" and "other" judgments for 110 Japanese and 169 U.S. undergraduate students and is found to be a function of the similarity of the 2 cultures when reacting to an episode. (SLD)

Examined factors that influence adolescents' commitments to extracurricular activities over time. Found that psychological factors of perceived competence and peer relationships, as well as contextual factors of perceived challenge, cost, benefits, and emerging identity, were decisive in adolescents' choice to remain involved in activities or…

This text reviews academic, emotional, motivational, and social learning theories that help children to be their own teachers and teachers to be aware of the advantages of taking charge of one's own learning, rather than depending on teacher education methodology. Learning is described as more than learning facts and figures or directive…

This action research project evaluated a program of activities to increase the engagement of high school students in their learning. The targeted population consisted of freshman, sophomore, and senior students in a middle class community in central Illinois. The lack of student engagement that posed a problem in academic progress was documented…

This book provides teachers and other practitioners with a variety of procedures and materials to help students with disabilities become involved in their transition planning to the maximum extent possible. Chapters include: (1) "Student Involvement in Education Planning, Decision Making, and Instruction: An Idea Whose Time Has Arrived" (Michael…