Describes Jigsaw Teaching, a cooperative learning approach, in relation to mineral identification. This technique may also be applied to rock identification. Students work in groups of four and learn to identify 20 minerals, becoming an "expert" on five of them. Helping to teach other students reinforces what each student has learned.…

Examined self-determination theory (SDT) in the language learning context. Involved the development of a valid and reliable instrument to assess different subtypes of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and explored the link between these motivational sub-types and various orientations to language learning. Showed instrumental orientation and the…

Examines the hypothesis that students' perceptions of teacher autonomy support, parent attachment, competence, and self-worth would predict motivational orientation and achievement test performance. Results indicate that autonomy support, parent attachment, scholastic competence, and self-worth predicted the academic criterion variables.…

A review of research on college student motivation and its relationship to learning looks at popular views of motivation, extrinsic vs. intrinsic motivation, the effects of extrinsic rewards, similarities to learning orientation and grading orientation, evaluation methods, and the power structure in the classroom. (MSE)

Examination of the construct validity of Guglielmino's Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale points toward dislike of learning as the cause of low scores. High scores seem to result from positive attitudes toward learning in general and not specifically self-directed learning. Further studies are needed to distinguish between readiness for…

Data from an earlier study, a survey of 215 adults that identified six factors deterring participation in adult education, were reanalyzed. The resulting typology describes 5 types of nonparticipants: people deterred by personal problems, lack of confidence, educational costs, lack of interest in formal education, and lack of interest in available…

A study investigated the effects of grading practices on the oral production and attitudes of high school students in first-year German courses. The effectiveness of structured situational practice activities on oral communication with and without grading were examined. Results indicated that there were differences in proficiency as related to…

This study investigated characteristics differentiating life-long learners from low participants in learning among 195 human service professionals in southern New England. Discriminant function analysis of seven extracted factors and three demographic variables indicated significant differences distinguishing the two groups. (TJH)

"Older Students in Education" (Kelly) reports on a survey of Open University older undergraduates; "Teaching the Older Learner" (Bilston) looks at survey responses about study methods; and "Adult Education, Equal Opportunity and Old Age" (Cooper) considers educational policy for older learners. (SK)

Presents the results of a study that examined the characteristics and motivation for studying of language students who attended a summer program. The article provides new evidence on the specific reasons students chose to study an intensive short course and their general motivation for studying a foreign language. (16 references) (CK)

Teachers need to encourage wonder, curiosity, and speculation in their students, and in themselves, because these emotions form the wellspring of science and discovery. By limiting their curriculum to the known world and proven facts, teachers may stifle their students' curiosity about the unknown. (MDM)

Describes a home-based family literacy intervention with a mother and her four children. Highlights the importance of motivation and family involvement in developing literacy skills.(SR)

The concept of student motivation is discussed, with applications for facilitating competence development in special and remedial education. Consideration is given to 4 prerequisites to competence development, historical obstacles to motivational interventions, motivational systems theory (MST), and 17 MST principles for motivating students. (SW)

The Inmate Editor of "The ECHO," a newspaper for 50,000 inmates in the Texas Prison System, describes teaching an illiterate young prisoner to read and write; states that the majority of inmates are barely literate; and urges teachers never to discount their own impact as role models and to infect children with the desire to know. (MLF)

Discusses research on the ways in which academic outcomes are influenced by the interaction between (1) the motivation and determination of elementary school students; (2) teacher and student roles and attitudes; (3) classroom exchanges; and (4) forms of instruction. Describes four environments that encourage student responsibility for learning…