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.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Why is it that so many teenagers would prefer to do anything rather than their homework? Educational researcher Goslin examines the forces that keep students from taking an interest in their studies, and, thus, from achieving academic success, in this in-depth but somewhat outdated analysis. According to the author, the main factors working against students' engagement are poorly structured school systems, cultural beliefs that elevate other activities (such as music, sports and dating) over scholastic success, variations in national curricula, poverty and absentee parenting. Goslin argues against state and local control of schools, and for a centralized, national curriculum. Teachers, he believes, should not be left to plan their lessons alone. Goslin also contends that the current trend against extrinsic rewards-such as praise and money-denies the strong motivation such rewards can give children. But the biggest challenge schools face, he says, is finding a way to reconcile our contradictory beliefs about the importance of "innate talent" and of hard work. Ultimately, however, the book is hampered by its lack of fresh evidence-Goslin's arguments rely heavily upon comparisons between schools in the U.S. and those in Japan and China. One frequently cited study is over 10 years old. And, though most teachers would agree with his repeated assertions that American students spend too much time watching TV, his belief that the "development of social skills and relationships" can pose an obstacle to academic success may strike many as misguided.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
After all the debates about improving curriculum, teaching, testing, and the organization of schooling, Goslin cuts through this thicket to address a central impediment to real learning: student motivation and engagement. Drawing on current research in this complex field, Goslin provides a concrete guide to understanding the forces shaping motivation. Readers can use this resource to craft improved approaches to stimulating students' love of learning and their motivation to learn more. (Elizabeth Reisner )
The questionnaire item 'Good luck is more important than hard work for success in school' was the most powerful single predictor for achievement in the famous study by James Coleman in 1966. A "no" response predicted high achievement. Hard work is the product of motivation, the topic of this important book. David Goslin examines in a thoughtful and readable style the nature and determinants of this common sense notion of what propels some people successfully through life. For parents and teachers, as well as scholars, this is a compelling read. (Marshall Smith )
The central message of David Goslin's important new book is that engagement in the learning process is the key to academic achievement. Students at JEB Stuart High School in Northern Virginia speak more than 40 languages and 60 percent of them are eligible for free or reduced price lunches. Yet we are sending 90 percent of our students on to college. Our success can be attributed in large part to the creation of a mutually supportive community of students, parents, and teachers committed to the importance of academic achievement. Stuart's story provides clear evidence in support of much of what Goslin has to say about the things that positively affect engagement in learning and what can be done to increase it. (Mel Riddile )
A concrete and readable guide to understanding the forces shaping students' motivation...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. (Library Journal )
Educational researcher Goslin examines the forces that keep students from taking an interest in their studies, and, thus, from achieving academic success, in this in-depth analysis. (Publishers Weekly Review Annex )
This is a timely book on a topic of central importance. Student engagement has been largely ignored by contemporary educational theorists and researchers. Yet it may be the key to understanding when learning occurs and when it does not. Anyone interested in understanding why should be certain to read this book. (George Bohrnstedt )
The questionnaire item 'Good luck is more important than hard work for success in school' was the most powerful single predictor for achievement in the famous study by James Coleman in 1966. A "no" response predicted high achievement. Hard work is the product of motivation, the topic of this important book. David Goslin examines in a thoughtful and readable style the nature and determinants of this common sense notion of what propels some people successfully through life. For parents and teachers, as well as scholars, this is a compelling read. (Marshall Smith )
The central message of David Goslin's important new book is that engagement in the learning process is the key to academic achievement. Students at JEB Stuart High School in Northern Virginia speak more than 40 languages and 60 percent of them are eligible for free or reduced price lunches. Yet we are sending 90 percent of our students on to college. Our success can be attributed in large part to the creation of a mutually supportive community of students, parents, and teachers committed to the importance of academic achievement. Stuart's story provides clear evidence in support of much of what Goslin has to say about the things that positively affect engagement in learning and what can be done to increase it. (Mel Riddile )
A concrete and readable guide to understanding the forces shaping students' motivation...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. (Library Journal )
Educational researcher Goslin examines the forces that keep students from taking an interest in their studies, and, thus, from achieving academic success, in this in-depth analysis. (Publishers Weekly Review Annex )
This is a timely book on a topic of central importance. Student engagement has been largely ignored by contemporary educational theorists and researchers. Yet it may be the key to understanding when learning occurs and when it does not. Anyone interested in understanding why should be certain to read this book. (George Bohrnstedt )
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Library Journal review,
By Paulette Cooper Noble "Happy Writer" (Palm Beach FL) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Engaging Minds: Motivation and Learning in America's Schools (Paperback)
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.
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