Teachers' responsiveness to and empathic understanding of students' perceptions when they are not motivated are critical in promoting students' ownership of the literacy learning agenda; in helping students with their motivational difficulties; and in establishing classrooms that focus on the enhancement of caring. An interpretive study, conducted…

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)

Researchers consistently underestimate the enormous potential of children to participate in the construction of their own learning environments and as research partners in examining learning. The paper chronicles one 6-year collaborative project with students on research in literacy learning and highlights students' perspectives on what the…

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…

Children have much to teach educators about the kinds of group work that enhance their social, emotional, and cognitive development. Using children's own words, this playlet juxtaposes third-grade and fifth/sixth grade views of how group work helps and hinders their school experiences in literacy learning. Students in both age groups experienced…

Compares and contrasts the multiple voices of children engaging in "group work" in a third-grade and a fifth/sixth-grade class. Highlights developmental and contextual issues that may be important to teachers considering students' needs and interests in relation to language arts learning in groups. Presents a playlet constructed from students'…