This study reports ad hoc findings of a study research project that explored the statistical properties of a questionnaire investigating the factors that motivate individuals to pursue higher education. The researcher used the literature-based, researcher-developed Factors Influencing Participation in Higher Education Questionnaire (S. Harris,…

To examine learning disabled children's intrinsic-extrinsic motivational orientation to their schoolwork, 90 LD students in grades 3-7 were administered the Scale of Instrinsic vs. Extrinsic Orientation in the Classroom and the Perceived Competence Scale for Children. Items were read to the students and a short interview based on the students'…

This study compared students' reflections on their highest lifetime educational aspirations at college entry (Time 1--"then") to those held later at the time of college outcomes assessment (Time 2--"now"). Data from archive files of the American College Testing Program's College Outcomes Survey (COS) for one historically black four-year private…

The aim of the research was to assess the economic, educational and cultural predictors of the TIMSS 2003 science test results in Lithuania and Estonia. The data for the research were received from the TIMSS 2003 User Guide for the International Database. The Spearman rank correlation coefficients, calculated on the students' level and the schools…

Two concerns in education are student lack of motivation for achieving subject-matter knowledge and skills, and a high incidence of both disruptive and withdrawal behavior. The state of the art with respect to the motivational procedures teachers employ with students is in question. This paper attempts to answer by dealing with these related…

A study of the relationship between student perceptions and learning behaviors attempted to answer the questions: (1) What are the perceptions of academic responsibility of the students? (2) How different are their perceptions when school, class, level of performance, and gender are different? and (3) To what extent is their perception of…

A survey examined educational aspirations and perceptions of school climate among gifted students at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics, a state-funded rural magnet school serving grades 11 and 12. Students at the magnet school completed the 84-item Grades 6-12 Aspirations Survey, returning 97 usable forms. The instrument has 12 scales: 2…

To gauge the impact of after-school student detention on punctual completion of homework, on detained student grades, and on student self-esteem, fourth- through sixth-grade students from a school with an after-school detention policy for late or incomplete assignments were studied. Interviews were conducted with the four fourth-, fifth-, and…

Students' orientations to learning, their perceptions of gain from their studies at Great Britain's Open University, and their development as learners were studied. Thirty students were followed from their first university course, the Social Science Foundation Course, through their two subsequent years of study, using in-depth interviews to…

Panel studies examined changes in the educational and occupational aspirations of 191 rural Ohio youth. The 1988 survey questions were similar to those asked in a study conducted 3 years earlier when subjects were 10th and 12th graders. Major findings were: (1) the influence of school personnel on student career and curriculum choices was less…

Different areas and regions of the nation have characteristically different rural high school systems due to differences in socioeconomic status of the residents, racial or ethnic membership, and family background. Differences in staffing patterns, enrollment levels, and school budgets are also characteristics that help to differentiate rural and…

Many research studies have used samples of women in introductory psychology courses, but few studies have focused on women interested in careers in psychology. To compare women who aspire to careers in psychology with those aspiring to other professions, 428 women in their senior year at seven colleges completed questionnaires assessing career…

Two studies were conducted by a New England university during the 1986-87 school year to gain a better understanding of the factors influencing individuals' decisions to attend graduate/professional school. One purpose of the two projects was to develop school-specific databases to: provide graduate school administrators with information regarding…

This monograph is comprised of five papers originally presented at a symposium concerning degree completion or non-completion (ABDs--"all but dissertation") of doctoral students in colleges of education. The first paper is by Raymond Kluever and is titled "ABDs and Graduates from a College of Education: Responsibility, Barriers, and…

An individual's school motivation and achievement are products of a complex set of interacting motivational goals, sense of self, and self-concept variables. Motivational goals may be differentially salient to individuals from different cultural backgrounds; and sense of self, including academic self-concept, may vary across cultural groups. This…