Student motivation is an important factor for the successful completion of an e-learning course. Detecting motivational problems for particular students at an early stage of a course opens the door for instructors to be able to provide additional motivating activities for these students. This paper analyzes how the behavior patterns in the…

An attempt was made to build a structural model of the relationships over time among intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and self-regulated learning. Structural equation modeling using the LISREL computer program was used. The presented model put the motivational constructs of intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy as temporally preceding…

Observes the failure of law schools to teach students how to cope with the professional stress induced by complicated conflicts of interest. Describes resulting insensitivity and unawareness which can lead to unprofessional and unethical behavior. Suggests how schools and graduates can help alleviate the syndrome. (JT)

Length of pauses between quizzes and laboratory assignments in a self-paced psychology-of-adjustment course were examined. Students (n=31) were required to take quizzes from proctors, 15 of which were unit quizzes and five of which were unit review quizzes, and to present five laboratory assignments to the instructor during the course in a…

Reviews recent research on college students' substance abuse, discussing the nature and extent of substance use and examining the effect of demographics and personality, year in college, grade point average, residence, motivation, and attitudes. Suggestions for coping with problems of campus alcohol use are offered. (Author/SM)

Compulsory attendance policies have been instituted in higher education with the expectation that academic achievement will improve, but empirical research on this relationship is equivocal. One theory of motivation posits that students' motivational beliefs, classroom context, and student behaviors are important variables in academic achievement.…

Subjects were 46 undergraduates attending a major West Coast university who self-monitored their study behavior for four weeks under one of four conditions: (1) expectation of reactivity; (2) cumulative charting, (3) combined expectation and charting; and (4) control group (given no expectation or cumulative chart). Although definitive conclusions…

Examined the persistence of students (n=937), 24 years of age or older, studying in two- and four-year degree programs by combining data from a survey questionnaire and institutional records. The structural equation model of Cabrera et al. (1993) was adapted for this older population, with identification of three additional variables: career…

Validity evidence for a new instrument, the Situation-Response Measure of Achievement Motivation for analyzing cross-situational consistency of achievement-related behavior, is presented in a study of 246 college students. Exploratory factor analysis indicates the presence of two factors, striving and apprehensiveness. (SLD)

Available data on Canadian and U.S. student drinking patterns are compared. Among the factors and implications discussed are prevalency and volume of drinking, its relation to other drug use, negative behavioral consequences, student characteristics, attitudes, motivation, and the influence of home, high school, and college environment in…

The study compares the content retention by students who are self-paced with content retention by students whose pacing is modified by instructors. The subjects included 148 students enrolled in an introductory college level child development course. One group of 74 students was randomly assigned to a self-paced section and another group of 74…