Ten mildly handicapped preschool children were taught to use problem-solving strategies to complete fine motor tasks. Qualitative and quantitative data indicated that the intervention had a positive impact on the task persistence of some children and that some children became more systematic in their approach to solving tasks. (Author/JDD)

Understanding learning strategies used by gifted students can help teachers improve effectiveness in all learners. Six traits common among the gifted and modifiable in students with learning difficulties include (1) superior concentration skills; (2) field independence; (3) reflection; (4) internal locus of control; (5) active learning; and (6)…

Studies the effects of explicitly teaching a problem-solving strategy on problem-solving ability, course average, course success, and student retention, focusing on two microeconomics courses. Indicates that teaching problem solving helps students with low problem-solving skills remain in class and succeed. (DMM)

This article explains how teachers can strengthen the self-efficacy of students who are struggling academically and increase their motivation for schoolwork. Instructional principles include linking new work to recent successes, teaching needed learning strategies, reinforcing effort and persistence, stressing peer modeling, and helping students…

Presents three problems that help students develop a repertoire of heuristics and persistence in problem solving: the water-jug problem; the missionaries-and-cannibals problem; and the census-taker problem. Discusses methods to encourage students to persist. (MDH)

Discusses a study which examined if inadequate study approaches contributed to the high attrition rate in tertiary science courses in Papua New Guinea. Test results of undergraduate students (N=118) indicated that their test scores for study motives and strategies were higher than Australian norms but did not correlate with academic achievement.…

This guide to improving student persistence is the first part of a four-part series addressing the essential characteristics of effective instruction that have a positive impact on the academic achievement of Black and Hispanic students. Persistence is learned behavior, and lower-class students are more likely than middle-class students to observe…

This book for experienced elementary and secondary school teachers was written by teachers and combines personal anecdotes and model program ideas with effective practical "how-tos." The first chapter asks the experienced teacher to assess how far he or she has come in years of teaching. The second chapter addresses learning and teaching…

This document is intended to help practitioners and researchers in the United Kingdom find and use Internet-based research resources dealing with raising achievement. The introduction discusses the state of research into school effectiveness in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Part A, which reviews available World Wide Web sites devoted to…