Examines two aspects of continuity, stability of individual differences and means, in a study from the middle elementary through high school years. Two hypotheses were supported: academic intrinsic motivation is a stable construct through these years, and with advancement in age, academic intrinsic motivation becomes increasingly stable. (Contains…

Analysis of responses from 330 African-American participants in church-based adult education identified seven motivational factors. Four were consistent with prior research: spiritual/religious development, love of learning, service, and social interaction. Three added new insights to participation research: familiar cultural setting, support for…

For beginning students in Scottish further education colleges (n=701), printed material was the most important preenrollment communication method. Support for attendance in the form of child care and financial aid was crucial. Location, local reputation, and the development of social relationships were also important motivational factors. (SK)

Macros are programming scripts that can be generated by recording users' actions. It appears that despite their potential for reducing monotonous work, they are under-used by non-programmers. The present paper reviews the literature on the use of macros. Included is an original study that examines the effect of adding the "search and replace"…

Undoubtedly, every secondary school teacher at some point in his or her career has had a student ask, "Why are we learning this?" or "What is this stuff good for, anyway?" The authors have found in talking with teachers and students that, while the responses to these questions may vary, most leave students unsatisfied or frustrated. In some cases,…

For many teachers and students, it was ThinkQuest that gave them their first experiences with the Internet. A collaborative competition, created by Advanced Network & Services (now managed by the Oracle Education Foundation), ThinkQuest asked students to form teams and create Web sites that were designed to help other students learn something. In…

What has changed and what has stayed the same in the years since the first publication of James's "Talks to Teachers on Psychology: And to Students on some of Life's Ideals" (1899) and the 10 editions of McKeachie's "Teaching Tips"? Although research and theory have given us better understanding of learning, memory, cognition, and motivation, much…

Encouraging students to read historical fiction can lead to greater interest in historical events and fictionalizing history enables young people to feel what it is like to be there. "The Bear that Heard Crying" by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, "A Lion to Guard Us" by Clyde Robert and "Meet Felicity: An American Girl (Book 1)" by Valerie Tripp are some…

Often times, teachers and prospective teachers repeat the "common knowledge" that young children have short attention spans. How often this becomes another self-fulfilling prophecy as teachers switch frequently from one activity to another, before student attention can wander, in an imitation of the Sesame Street model of teaching as…

Encouraging young children to think themselves as writers helps them to achieve more in their life than one have ever imagined. When young students are given an open-ended ongoing invitation to write books, they build identities as writers around their daily work of composing texts and they also gain a sense of ownership and control over literacy.

Despite the ready availability of computer algebra packages, from a pedagogical point of view, the authors still feel that integration should be taught extensively the classical way, by means of carefully selected examples which combine as many fundamental techniques as possible for their evaluation. Furthermore, whenever possible, these examples…

Gifted children are susceptible to many de-motivating factors, which can lead to depression and academic underachievement. The authors present concepts and techniques to counteract those factors, allowing a child's motivation to skyrocket. Features the Four C's of Motivation: (1) Creating Challenge; (2) Creating Control; (3) Creating Commitment;…

It is now six years since schools and education authorities were encouraged to review how available time is used to provide all learners with a motivating and challenging experience. Circular 3/2001 "Guidance on Flexibility in the Curriculum" set out the rationale for innovation within the curriculum and the need to think creatively about how best…

This study investigated learning activities and associated quality of experience of students with different levels of perceived academic self-efficacy. Two groups were formed out of 130 Italian adolescents (age 15-19), one with high and one with low academic self-efficacy beliefs (31 and 32 participants, respectively). Students provided valuation…

"Mathematical literacy" implies that a person is able to reason, analyze, formulate, and solve problems in a real-world setting. Mathematically literate individuals are informed citizens and intelligent consumers. They have the ability to interpret and analyze the vast amount of information they are inundated with daily in newspapers, on…