Engaging Minds: Motivation and Learning in America's Schools

By David A. Goslin

Why don't most kids work very hard in school? What can be done to increase the engagement of our children in learning? Everyone concerned about improving the quality of elementary and secondary schools in the United States will want to read this accessible volume that provides a framework for thinking about what can be done to increase student engagement in learning. It is an important contribution to the ongoing dialogue among practitioners, policy makers, and the public at large about many existing proposals for school reform. In addition to offering a number of suggestions for specific new policies and practices, it poses several broader philosophical questions that deserve serious consideration by opinion leaders and the general public.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0810847132
• ISBN13: 9780810847132
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: R & L Education
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.3" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Library Journal review

Goslin was formerly the president and CEO of the American Institutes for Research (AIR) in the behavioral sciences and executive director of the National Research Council's Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (CBASSE). The central message of his important study is that motivation and engagement in the learning process are key to academic achievement. Contending that lack of student engagement is the central obstruction to real learning, Gosling provides here a concrete and readable guide to understanding the forces shaping students' motivation, ultimately stressing that it really stems from hard work. Drawing heavily on current research, the author backs up his arguments with ample examples and offers commonsense suggestions on how to improve current practices in order to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education in the United States. Thoughtful, timely, and compelling, this study will serve as a great reference for further research in the field and is recommended not only for educators but for parents and teachers as well.-Samuel T. Huang, Univ. of Arizona Lib., Tucson Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.