"Sharing the ownership of knowing" (a constructivist concept of motivation for literacy learning) is a dynamic classroom interaction in which a teacher's constructivist epistemological stance facilitates students' sense of their own construction of meaning and the integrity of their own thinking. Sharing the ownership of knowing was one…

A continuing longitudinal study examined students' perceptions of their learning and motivation in a whole language classroom setting. Subjects, 14 fifth- or sixth-grade students who collaborated in the inquiry as co-researchers, were interviewed in depth. The mixed fifth- and sixth-grade classroom at the "Willow School" in southern…

Drawing from examples from a longitudinal study of students' perceptions of their own purposes in learning, this paper examines outcomes of an emancipatory view of intrinsic motivation for literacy learning that centers on a view of the "learner as agent in the construction of meaning." The paper traces the development of students'…

Presents five themes constructed through a cross-case analysis and synthesis of research and theory based on six articles collected for a two-part mini-themed issue of this journal on learning from students about overcoming motivation problems in literacy learning. Examines what can be learned by looking at different studies that address issues of…

Offers an interpretive case study designed to provide insights about students' thoughts, feelings, and actions when not initially motivated for literacy tasks, and ways in which some students were able to become intrinsically interested. Reveals three different patterns of engagement (or lack thereof), represented in three different "Situations"…

Summarizes a key finding from a four-year longitudinal study of intrinsic motivation for literacy learning. Finds that this motivation may diminish as students move from elementary to middle grades and may be linked to fewer opportunities for self-expression in their learning environments. (SR)

Describes insights about students' motivation for literacy learning based on a student-researcher collaborative inquiry in a fifth- and sixth-grade whole-language classroom. (SR)

This conceptual essay critiques current understandings of children's motivation for literacy learning, and argues for a reconceptualization of motivation that centers on the learner as agent in the social construction of meaning. The essay is illustrated with vignettes and examples drawn from two ethnographic studies conducted in whole-language…

By focusing on what and how students want to learn, shared inquiry between teachers and students is inherently motivating, supporting students' intrinsic motivation. When students themselves participate as educational theorists, learning experiences become more engaging for both students and teachers. The yearlong inquiry described in this paper…

Shows how, through shared inquiry into literacy processes, both the teachers and students become learners. Describes the shared inquiry that took place in a classroom of 10- and 11-year olds in which teachers and students explored the meanings, purposes, and outcomes of their literacy curriculum. (SR)

Critiques current understandings of children's motivation for literacy learning, and argues for a reconceptualization of motivation that centers on the learner as agent in the social construction of meaning. Uses vignettes and examples from studies conducted in whole-language classrooms to investigate children's perspectives of their own literacy…