Preschool teachers need to acquire more realistic expectations and definitions of their jobs and need to learn how to observe their own behaviors. Members of the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory have observed that preschool teachers offer rewards for learning that are extrinsic to the learning process (e.g., rewarding a reading lesson…

This booklet, one in a series entitled "What Research Says to the Teacher," deals with guided study and homework. The first section discusses the general topic of supervised and guided study; study methods and the psychology of learning are examined as are related factors. Section two takes up the topic of study at home: objectives of homework,…

Recent studies have demonstrated that external rewards can affect intrinsic motivation to perform an activity. Money tends to decrease intrinsic motivation, whereas positive verbal reinforcements tend to increase intrinsic motivation. This paper presents evidence that negative feedback and threats of punishment also decrease intrinsic motivation.…

In the present study the relationships between the amount of freedom given the learner in choosing a learning task and his subsequent performance and persistence on that task were investigated. (Author)

An interview with two adults who are fluent readers and writers leads to the conclusion that fluent readers get to be that way by reading, and by reading a great deal, from something of their own choosing. (JD)

Students who understand why physical activity is important are more likely to be physically active all their lives. (JD)

The case of S. Yamamura, a mentally handicapped (MH) Japanese who has become a famous artist, indicates that educators ought to concentrate upon the talents of the MH and use their interests in particular areas as a spur to further learning. (GW)

Tested the generalizability of the specificity model of environmental action to the domain of mastery motivation in infants. Found that the specificity model successfully predicted that aspects of the environment uniquely related to dimensions of mastery motivation, and that infant sex and temperament mediated the relation of environment to…

Discusses (1) how instructional objectives can become a constraint on students' learning, (2) how teachers need to help students overcome their fears about learning, and (3) the danger of fragmenting process approaches to learning into ritualized parts. (SRT)

Describes a study in which subjects varying in both language aptitude and attitudinal/motivational characteristics were studied to see how quickly they learned French vocabulary using a paired associates paradigm. Two different modes were used. In one, the stimuli were presented visually; in the other, they were presented aurally. All three…

Describes efforts in the banking industry to combine the reward elements of incentive programs with training activities. Concludes that incentive programs can be combined effectively with learning activities so that training is reinforced and learned behavior is also practiced. (WL)

The author, in his motivation research, exuded the feeling that the clinical supervisor, through the correct process of motivating teachers and students, could indeed promote instructional improvement and with it, learning. Through his input-process-outcome model he proposed a better fit between the nature of human motivation and the logic of…

This study examines the relationship between employee attitudes towards training and organizational commitment among a sample of nurses in New Zealand and the United States. Results show that perceived access to training, training frequency, motivation to learn from training, benefits of training, and supervisory support for training were…

Prediction of success in shorthand is difficult. Some attitudinal factors to be considered in adopting a more positive attitude leading to shorthand success are: establishing group cohesion, alternating intense wiht more relaxed activities, relief and relaxation coming from the instructor's personality, and; testing as an aid in the learning…