Internal and external factors that influence student motivation are considered from the perspectives of the student and of the teacher. It has been found that the student brings to the learning situation characteristics that have a direct bearing on individual motivation. High self esteem and level of aspiration are present in a motivated student,…

A basic writing course designed for college freshmen who do not score high enough on entrance examinations to qualify for regular composition courses emphasizes the positive aspects of a student's writing. The nongraded course consists of four components: journal writing, grammar instruction, in-class paragraph writing, and controlled composition.…

A STUDY BY TABER AND GLASER WHICH TAUGHT SIGHT VOCABULARY BY THE VANISHING LITERAL PROMPTS METHOD WAS REPLICATED IN AN EXPERIMENT WITH 14 PRESCHOOL, KINDERGARTEN, AND BEGINNING FIRST-GRADE CHILDREN. MATERIALS USED WERE EIGHT LOWER CASE COLOR WORDS PRINTED ON 3 BY 5 CARDS. AFTER PRETESTS TO IDENTIFY COLOR KNOWLEDGE AND CONFIRM LACK OF WORD…

The relationship between teaching styles and student academic achievement is considered. Results of research studies on direct and indirect teaching styles, formal and informal styles, teacher clarity and enthusiasm, and the effects of different types of feedback to students are discussed. Specifically considered are the use of questions…

INDIVIDUAL TEAM MEMBERS HAD SHOWN REDUCED PROFICIENCY WHEN INDIVIDUAL TRAINING WAS STOPPED AND TEAM TRAINING BEGUN. THIS STUDY ASSESSED THE EFFECTS OF SUPERVISORY FEEDBACK TO INDIVIDUAL TEAM MEMBERS ON THE RATE AT WHICH TEAMS ACQUIRED PROFICIENCY. SUBJECTS WERE 24 THREE MAN SERIES TEAMS, 18 TEAMS GROUPED BY LOW, MEDIUM, AND HIGH LEVELS OF…

RESEARCH IN WHICH BEHAVIOR THEORY WAS APPLIED TO TEACHING READING, WRITING, AND ARITHMETIC TO RETARDED CHILDREN IS REPORTED. TWENTY- SEVEN EDUCABLY RETARDED CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN THE CORE GROUP. THE MEAN MENTAL AGE WAS 11 YEARS AND THE MEAN IQ WAS 63. IN AN EXPERIMENTAL ENVIRONMENT OF APPROVAL, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND TOKEN REINFORCEMENT, A…

This is one of a series of Education for Parenthood manuals developed for use in Salvation Army demonstration programs in parenthood education. This guide presents discussion plans for eight workshop sessions based on the book, "Liberated Parents/Liberated Children." The course was designed to help teenagers (1) become aware of typical negative…

The purpose of this study was to determine what kind of feedback would be most effective in helping students improve their writing and in what manner it should be provided. Feedback was provided on a specific writing task, the short autobiographical narrative. Improvement was measured by scales of the three variables: completeness, development,…

Reinforcement control of toileting behaviors was established in three profoundly retarded institutionalized adults through the use of a totally automatic reinforcement dispenser. The device was found to be reliable, reasonably priced and more accurate than manually or semiautomatically delivered reinforcement. (CL)

Programed training filmstrips from Project LIFE (Language Instruction to Facilitate Education) were used with 114 hearing impaired children and 15 normal hearing language impaired children (4- to 13-years old) to assess the effects of auditory supplementation and a token reinforcement program on language learning and to investigate retention and…

The project at Beaufort County Technical Institute has culminated in the development of an instructional system that provides each student desiring to enter the Electrical Technology curriculum the opportunity to enroll at any time during the year and to work at a pace determined by his own ability, background and motivation. The systems approach…

The definition and uses of interactive instructional designs are presented in this book. Eight examples are given of the variety of designs available to the classroom teacher and a chapter is devoted to each. The chapters describe the usefulness of the particular design, its operation, the design format, and the method for evaluating the outcomes.…

The relationship between physically and psychologically stressful experiences and the anxiety and self concept of 33 male and 11 female participants (aged 16-38 years) in a 23-day Colorado Outward Bound (OB) course was analyzed. It was hypothesized that the effects of the OB experience would: be the same for male and female participants; alter…

Research investigating the performance of students enrolled in courses taught by a Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) has tended to support the claim that PSI is a superior teaching method. The present research study isolated the self-pacing aspect of PSI courses and attempted to teach 13 academically deficient first year college students…

A four-stage model, designed to shape learning disabled students' independent study skills and foster generalization of skills is presented: (1) ease students into a homework routine; (2) focus on time management; (3) teach problem-solving techniques; and (4) conclude in independent study with intermittent parent and teacher monitoring. (CB)