The goal of this action research project goal was to improve students' taking responsibility for their own learning. The targeted population consisted of 120 intermediate and middle school students in 5 classes from 2 middle-class communities in northern Illinois. The lack of student responsibility in the learning process was documented through teachers' anecdotal records, interviews of randomly selected students, and a survey of students' study habits recorded over a 5-month period. Analysis of the probable causes of students' lack of responsibility for their own learning indicated that lack of higher-order thinking skills, lack of ability to transfer learning, and lack of self-motivation were responsible. To address these problems, four major categories of intervention were used in this 3-month program: (1) graphic organizers to aid in visualizing the thinking process; (2) problem-solving strategies; (3) higher-order thinking skills to promote gathering, processing, and applying information; and (4) portfolios to show ownership of their learning. Post-intervention data obtained during cooperative learning activities indicated an increase in students' taking responsibility for learning and an improvement in students' higher-order and critical thinking skills, problem-solving strategies, and self-evaluation. (Ten appendices detail data collection methods, Bloom's Taxonomy, and intervention procedures. Contains 29 references.) (KDFB)