Some causes of difficulty experienced by Chinese learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) in attaining communicative competence in the target language include lack of appropriate teacher strategies; teachers' limited English language proficiency; neglect of education in the target culture; lack of communicative activities; students'…

The goal of this paper is to articulate a theoretical basis for work with at-risk students and to provide a foundation for new methods for teachers who will be working with this population. The topic is narrowed to concerns related to academic achievement. There is overwhelming scientific evidence that external conditions are major antecedent…

Self-monitoring refers to deliberate attention to aspects of one's behavior, and is an important component of self-regulated learning, which depends on favorable self-evaluations of one's capabilities and progress toward learning goals. This paper argues that self-regulated learning is enhanced when students self-monitor their learning progress,…

A British study verified whether the educational participation of Ford Motor Company's manual workers significantly increased following introduction of the Employee Development and Assistance Program (EDAP) and identified the features that contributed to its success. Over the past 15 years, studies of working class adults' educational…

This paper focuses on the development and analysis of a survey designed to assess two aspects of motivation to read, specifically for adults enrolled in community college reading courses: self-perceived competence (self-concept) and valuing of the task (value). It also assesses developmental reading students' use of strategic reading behaviors.…

A Mexican study investigated the relationship between foreign language learning motivation, anxiety, and learning strategies of beginning-level university English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) students who are at risk of failing the EFL class only. Subjects were 68 students identified as having serious problems with listening comprehension and…

This study investigated the relationship between student motivation, both extrinsic and intrinsic, and learning strategies for English as a foreign language (EFL) students. Subjects were 46 Taiwanese undergraduate and graduate students of advanced EFL at a public university in the United States who were administered motivation and learning…

A study examined the relationship between the motives and needs of 658 adult students enrolled in a Dutch adult high school program and the curricular and instructional design of an educational reform--an open learning program. The population was all 4,442 adult learners in 3 schools who started an open learning experiment. When the students…

Writings in the field of human development and learning in the adult years can be integrated into a simple theory. A theory is defined as a policy, hypothesis, or set of principles used or proposed as a basis for action. The adult years are defined as a time in which one makes choices with a degree of maturity and wisdom and assumes responsibility…

The 34 tests described in this bibliography include measures of learning modalities, learning styles, and attitudes toward learning. Some are self-evaluations while others are checklists completed by teachers. All ages are represented. This document is one in a series of topical bibliographies from the Test Collection (TC) at Educational Testing…

This paper reports on an exploratory cross-cultural study of the attitudes of first and second grade students toward the use of microcomputers in instruction. Questionnaire responses were compared among three groups: Japanese students in Tokyo, Japan; American students in Sanger, Texas; and Japanese students attending a special school for Japanese…

A list of almost 300 titles of Spanish language reading materials represents the recommendations of the California Media and Library Educators Association for use with Spanish-speaking, limited-English-proficient students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is intended as a guide for teachers of Spanish and teachers of English language arts…

Students' orientations to learning, their perceptions of gain from their studies at Great Britain's Open University, and their development as learners were studied. Thirty students were followed from their first university course, the Social Science Foundation Course, through their two subsequent years of study, using in-depth interviews to…

Teachers working with at-risk students must instill in their students the motivation and desire to read. At-risk readers do not value reading in the same way their teachers do. Teachers should strive to make the reading experience one that is relevant to the student both at their present reading level and when their ability to read has improved.…

The application of the principles of intramural athletic competition to stimulate outstanding academic performance is discussed in this paper. The implementation of an academic intramural competition based on student diversity, immediate recognition, fun, and meaningful prizes in a Texas high school is described. The program is based on the tenet…