This paper presents findings of a study that examined the process of building staff commitment during the earliest phase of comprehensive school change, or "courtship" phase. Participant observation in a northwestern urban school district was conducted at three low-achieving elementary schools that implemented the accelerated schools model.…

The role of the media in our daily lives is discussed and its potential applications in the second language classroom are examined. Evidence of the power of the mass media is noted in the impact of news coverage on the news itself, and in the immediacy of news coverage. Video is also seen as stimulating and appealing to many, and able to reflect…

An exploratory investigation attempted to determine how learning at work actually takes place and in what ways learning on the job differs from classroom learning. The study was based on extensive observations and interviews over a 5-year period at two manufacturing plants that implemented a computer-based system known as Manufacturing Resource…

A study investigated the role of bilingualism (Basque/Spanish) and motivation in third (English) language acquisition in Spain's Basque country. Subjects were 321 secondary school students in two programs, one with instruction primarily in Spanish and one with instruction primarily in Basque. The following independent variables were analyzed in…

Because of their geographical isolation from major population centers, many of the islands of Micronesia are without live television or daily newspapers. However, the skies of the Pacific are alive with radio broadcasts that can be received with shortwave radios. This presentation explains the nature of shortwave radio and describes how teachers…

Noting that the field of educational psychology is rapidly changing, with renewed interest in how we learn and how excellent teaching occurs, this collection comprises relevant readings selected from professional journals and magazines. The articles are grouped by topics consistently found in educational psychology textbooks. The chapters are: (1)…

A multimethod, multitrait approach was used to examine the relations of aggression and hyperactivity to mastery motivation in preschool children. Parallel measures of multiple facets of mastery motivation were devised from findings in two studies: (study 1) a maternal report questionnaire for 332 twins, ages 3-5, recruited from the twin registry…

If the main cause of many students' disinclination to learn is attitude, it follows that the most important educational reform is the restoration of attitudes favorable to learning. This book and its companion workbook are intended to assist teachers in that goal. It helps teachers understand and appraise the negative attitudes that are all too…

Participatory classroom instruction, including project-based learning, is a teaching approach that can motivate students to learn, build the academic competencies needed to pass the General Educational Development (GED) Test, and instill the strong self-concept and interpersonal skills needed to succeed. Project-based learning actively engages…

This report describes a program for increasing levels of leisure time reading and heightened awareness of age and ability appropriate literature with an effort to encourage targeted students in grades 2, 3, and 6 to become lifelong readers. The targeted population lives in a growing rural, low to upper middle class community located in north…

School library media specialists play a special role in the education of gifted students, particularly in the use of literature across the curriculum. The CUES program, developed for gifted students, actively promotes the reading/curriculum connection, thus providing an invaluable model for all educators. Calling for structured interaction between…

This fact sheet on English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction provides brief explanations of the following: the meaning of the terms ESL and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages); student motivation for taking ESL classes; how long it takes to learn English; ESL adult enrollment rates; ESL program design options; general methods and…

The purpose of this study was to determine if reading aloud to children regularly would have an effect on their motivation and desire to read independently. Subjects, 100 fourth and fifth grade students in Wayne, New Jersey, participated in the study. One fourth and one fifth grade class were read to on a daily basis for 30 minutes. The second…

This study explored the impact of teaching improvement programs on university faculty participants in Mexico, as well as the factors that have affected the success of these programs. A total of 80 professors from the University of Sonora in Hermosillo, Mexico, completed a questionnaire on current teaching practices. The group included 40 former…

The purpose of this paper is to examine the literature in regard to technology and its effect on learner academic achievement. It explores early assumptions and current academic practices, examines several seminal studies on technology effect, and looks at possible future directions for technology and learning research. The paper offers the…