This case study is about understanding disruptive students who are motivated by a psychological need to invoke change in a learning space. Marczewski's User Types Test, a typology for classifying both intrinsic and extrinsic motivational tendencies, and based on Self-Determination Theory, was administered to 14 participants, aged 9 through 15, to…

Troubled children can greatly influence the behavior of their teachers. Interaction between a teacher and student follows a circular process in which the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors of the teacher are influenced and in turn influence the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors of the student. The five steps in the process are: self-concept,…

Resource teachers' and regular teachers' ratings for 32 elementary-level learning-disabled (LD) students were compared to identify teachability characteristics and behaviors. Though the two groups of teachers did not note differences in problem behaviors of the same LD child in different settings, differences in cognitive/motivational and…

Four eighth and ninth graders with learning problems were studied, focusing on their learning environments, learning behavior, and subjective experiences in the classroom. Ego-involvement and self-protective behaviors were noted. Results are discussed in terms of self-worth theory and motivation theory. (SLD)