Encouraging Students to Take Responsibility for Learning and Performance

Researchers interested in classroom learning and performance have begun to study a variety of motivational and volitional characteristics of students and how these interact with changes in teacher-student roles and attitudes, classroom exchange, and forms of instruction to influence academic outcomes and accomplishments. In this article, I discuss some of these important motivational-volitional characteristics and processes. Theory, research, and practice are combined to consider how elementary school teachers might encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning and performance in school.