Learning logs or reflective journals are frequently used in further and higher education to encourage students' reflection on their learning. Such approaches are rare in school. This study employed a learning log over a five-week period, with a class of 14-15 year old students learning about digestion, respiration and breathing at a Suffolk upper…

Background: There has been a lack of research on exploring how beliefs about language learning (BALLs) and out-of-class language-learning activities are related. BALLs and out-of-class language-learning activities play an important role in influencing the learning behaviours of learners and learning outcomes. Findings of this study provide useful…

This collection of hands-on ideas for learning materials contains 26 different classroom learning aids for young children which can be used for a variety of language activities. The focus in the collection is on puppetry. The theory behind this collection is that students must be involved in the learning process and that by being an integral part…

In this article, findings from a recent one-year research project that investigated the use of games in a variety of school settings are described and discussed. The project involved four schools and 12 teachers designing classroom activities around specific games to support learners both within the formal national curriculum and in the context of…

In this article, we argue for a change in how researchers study motivation to learn. We believe that research can provide better explanations of the origins and outcomes of behavior, and thus be more useful, if we focus on how motivation develops and why it changes. We suggest reframing motivation research in education by extending the current…

Explores the rationale for learning centers, outlines steps in using this approach, and describes pupil-evaluation techniques. Illustrates concretely how a teacher can phase in the use of learning centers. (BF/JH)

This paper describes a collaborative Internet-based project involving foreign language students and teacher trainees in three different countries. The project involved both online collaboration with international partners and face-to-face classroom activities and was designed not only to facilitate purposeful, authentic language use, but also to…

This paper explored the adult student opinions on four types of English classroom activities (language learning; language acquisition; information convey; role play) and the relationship between the fondness degrees and their personality, test performance and motivation. It turned out that the majority of students ranked all classroom activities a…

Designed for teachers of kindergarten through grade 6, this book contains practical and innovative ideas on fostering literacy generated from discussions with teachers from the United States and Canada, visits to their classrooms, and observations of their interactions with students. The book addresses all levels of learner-centered literacy…

This paper reports results of intensive field work in urban high school mathematics and science classrooms based on research with students attending eight high schools located in large, disparate urban sites across the U.S. During the course of our observations and interviews we recorded students' activities as well as their impressions of…

Finds that the most reliable indicator of students' motivation for literacy learning is not the type of reading program that districts follow, but the actual daily tasks that teachers provide in their classrooms. Describes open tasks that provide challenge, choice, student control over learning, and opportunities to collaborate with others and to…

Offers activities for the classroom based on these premises: children should feel valued as individuals; a positive self-concept promotes cognitive growth; enjoyable learning is retained longer; games provide necessary repetition for retention and transfer; and self-evaluation enhances learning. (ED)

Reproduces a teaching strategy from the "Beginning and Intermediate Band" volume of the "Strategies for Teaching" series. The reproduction includes the objective, procedures, materials used, prior knowledge and experiences, indicators of success, and follow-up activities. The strategy supports the musical instructional standard 4C: composing and…

A discussion of second language teaching techniques that appeal to adult students looks at general principles of motivation and how they may apply in specific classroom activities. Theories of motivation and human needs are examined, and the role of language in meeting communication needs is considered. Communication activities for developing…

While defining a heritage language (HL) learner is problematic, it is critical for how HL issues are framed. Underrepresented in the discussion are those learners who identify the HL as key to their development of self identity while having limited exposure to the HL in the home environment. This study investigates such students in the context of…