Younger (N=48) and older (N=48) males participated in a vocabulary task involving varying degrees of risk under neutral, supportive, and challenging instructions. Results indicated older adults were more cautious, selected tasks with higher probabilities of success, and were less likely to raise their level of aspiration following success. (Author)

According to the learned helplessness hypothesis, the learning impairment typically displayed by subjects previously given insoluble problems results from the real learning of response-outcome independence. This learning is represented as a belief in helplessness that interferes with the subsequent acquisition of adaptive responses. Two…

Subjects learned lists of words under conditions of high, medium, or low expectations concerning test-phase cheating and were then tested for recall with cheating precluded. Test performance of subjects expecting to be able to cheat was unexpectedly better, rather than worse, than subjects with low expectations, even when cheating was precluded.…

A review of current research regarding foreign language learning motivation considers development of the prevailing theory, integrative versus instrumental premises, neglected points of significance in previous research, inadequacies of the general model, and developmental aspects of learning motives. While such research has reached a…

Research concerning the transfer of cognitive skills is outlined. Transfer is involved in learning, memory, problem solving, and other cognitive processes; it depends on domain-specific knowledge, general cognitive skills, and goals and values. Meta-cognitive and cognitive strategies facilitate transfer. Research is recommended on the interaction…

Discusses new theories of feedback which suggest that all students may not benefit from immediate, positive feedback, depending on their level of ability and the difficulty of the task. Cognitive interpretations of feedback research are reviewed, including motivation to learn, and applications to instructional design are presented. (LRW)

Suggests that the motivational level produced through active learning can significantly influence learning progress. Lists a variety of specific movement activities for enriching elementary social studies. Concludes that movement activities can be successfully implemented in a variety of academic settings. (DH)

Motivational design, a major component of the ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction) model that describes how to understand the motivation to learn, is described in this second article of a two-part series. Topics addressed include audience analysis; motivational objectives, measures, and motivational strategy design; and…

Describes a study of first-year university students of Spanish done to discover their types of motivation for learning a second language and to investigate the relationship between type and strength of motivation. Findings indicate the existence of two types of motivation clusters that resemble the integrative and instrumental orientations. (SED)

Keeping a journal of classroom experiences can help students express their understandings of the concepts they learn in school and how the lessons relate to their own lives. An eight-item reference list is provided. (Author)

The deficient preparation of Australian college faculty for participation in college administration is contrasted with evidence of increased administrator participation in professional development activities. The use of films to trigger opportunities for administrative development in peer group situations is discussed and evaluated by…

Motivating music students to practice is a perennial concern for teachers and parents. Behavioral contracts, in which the teacher or parent guarantees a certain reward in return for the student completing a designated task, is one solution. How to construct a contract is discussed. A sample contract is included. (RM)

Instruction techniques utilized by secondary school teachers and those preferred by students when sex education topics are taught were identified in this article. Large group discussion was preferred when teaching social and emotional aspects of sexuality. Educational media was a technique used and preferred to address physiological aspects.…

Examines the external motivation for and attitudes toward acquiring a second language. Coming from the community at large, this type of motivation is not from the classroomand, thus, out of the hands of individual teachers. Rather, vocational usefulnes is one of the key reasons students pursue foreign language study. (SL)