This programmatic series of three studies compares, in British and Hungarian secondary schools, two contrasting conceptualizations of motivation and successively relates them to approaches to learning and studying and then to indices of self-concept and attributions of success and failure. The first conceptualization was developed in Hungary and…

Faced with the growing concern over educational effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity, many schools are turning to educational technology, especially the computer-based curriculum products known as integrated instructional systems. However, it is vitally important for educators to examine and gain a clearer understanding of technology's…

National surveys of the post-high school plans and aspirations of black and white high school seniors have been conducted for the past decade. Chances of college entry among blacks from 1977 through the mid-1980s have declined in contrast to the increasing college entry chances of whites. This paper analyses the plans of black and white seniors…

When children are curious they are willing to investigate the less self-evident properties of matter. It is hoped as deeper explanations and relationships are explored, children learn analytic, critical, and creative skills for later application to phenomena encountered in life. A concern of elementary science teaching is motivating learning or…

A 1987 study, which involved 26 male and 805 female early childhood workers from 85 center-based programs in 20 states, was conducted to develop a social-ecological perspective on professional orientation and job satisfaction and on structural components of early childhood programs. Professional orientation is characterized by a person's emphasis…

Individual differences in achievement orientation are compared with differences in gifted students' use of feedback on a classroom exam. The achievement orientation of 57 seventh- and eighth-grade gifted students was measured using the Motivational Orientation Scale (MOS). There were 33 males and 24 females. As part of their regular classroom…

Teacher's explanations for students' low achievement were reliably classified using the attributional coding system proposed by H. M. Cooper and T. L. Good (1983). Study subjects were 20 male and 24 female teachers enrolled in graduate classes at a midwestern university. All grade-level teaching assignments (primary school through…

The purpose of this paper is to examine the theories and research concerning social comparison and goal setting processes in education and to discuss implications for educational practice and future research. Social comparison and goal setting are important contextual influences on children's task motivation, self-evaluations of capability, and…

A study was conducted to try to determine older adults' motivations for and experiences in the educational system as well as to try to determine how their life histories were being woven into their educational experiences. Based on the work of state theorists such as Buhler and Erikson as well as on the life review concept of Robert Butler, the…

Intended to provide the basis for a lifelong appreciation of literature, this curriculum guide outlines a sequence of instruction for elementary and secondary school students. Used in conjunction with the K-12 Reserved Literature List for the Lincoln, Nebraska public schools, the guide provides grids indicating the appropriate grade level for…

Intended as a first-aid kit for personnel managers, this working paper is a broad attempt to relate motivation and career, with specific reference to the current career development difficulties facing staff in further and higher education. The first section reviews current knowledge about people's career expectations and perceptions to discover…

To evaluate the use of semantic organizers as a means of improving the prewriting techniques of composition students, a study was made of two separate groups of college freshman composition students during an intensive, five-week writing workshop. Data were also collected from case studies of students in the experimental group, including frequent…

Perspectives regarding education for the gifted and talented and excellence in education are addressed in this second volume of a 1982 public hearing. In addition to reports from Rhode Island, Maine, Connecticut, and New York, education of the gifted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is discussed, along with a study about programs for…

Perspectives regarding education for the gifted and talented and excellence in education are addressed in this third volume of a 1982 public hearing. Statements from professional associations and from the public concerning education for the gifted are provided. The following positions are taken: there must be increased development of fully-funded…

The impact of individual characteristics on the attitudes and performance of students in a college psychology course using the guided design approach was examined. With this teaching method students work in groups to solve problems, gaining experience in the cognitive processes of concept reorganization, symbolic translation, data interpretation,…