What Underachieving Middle School Students Believe Motivates them to Learn

Chapter 1: The Challenge to Educate Everyone Chapter 2: A Review of Literature Chapter 3: Methods Chapter 4: The Results Chapter 5: Discussion      An Emerging Theory      A Gap in Schools      Getting in the Way?      A Final Thought References Appendixes Biography

A Final Thought I am certain that most parents and educators have nothing but the best intentions for students. I worry, however, that much of what schools do is driven by tradition, and not by reflecting on the ebb and flow of young minds. I am disturbed when I hear some teachers say that students need to adapt to school, when students are not in school by choice (they are there by law) and schools are supposed to provide a service to children (not the other way around). Keep in mind "the pragmatic premise on which this whole edifice is built says that we attend to what works, not necessarily what we have been doing" (Smith, Wigginton, Hocking, & Jones, 1991).

Web site created by Mike Muir Send questions or comments to wilder@somtel.com Last updated April 25, 2001

Mike Muir Assistant Professor of Education University of Maine at Farmington 104 Main Street Farmington, ME 04938 207.778.7179 wilder@somtel.com http://violet.umf.maine.edu/~mmuir