Engaging Schools: Fostering High School Students' Motivation to Learn - Tapa dura

When it comes to motivating people to learn, disadvantaged urban adolescents are usually perceived as a hard sell. Yet, in a recent MetLife survey, 89 percent of the low-income students claimed aEURO I really want to learnaEURO applied to them. What is it about the school environmentaEURO"pedagogy, curriculum, climate, organizationaEURO"that encourages or discourages engagement in school activities? How do peers, family, and community affect adolescentsaEURO (TM) attitudes towards learning? Engaging Schools reviews current research on what shapes adolescentsaEURO (TM) school engagement and motivation to learnaEURO"including new findings on studentsaEURO (TM) sense of belongingaEURO"and looks at ways these can be used to reform urban high schools. This book discusses what changes hold the greatest promise for increasing studentsaEURO (TM) motivation to learn in these schools. It looks at various approaches to reform through different methods of instruction and assessment, adjustments in school size, vocational teaching, and other key areas. Examples of innovative schools, classrooms, and out-of-school programs that have proved successful in getting high school kids excited about learning are also included.

Committee on Increasing High School Students' Engagement and Motivation to Learn, National Research Council