Two concerns in education are student lack of motivation for achieving subject-matter knowledge and skills, and a high incidence of both disruptive and withdrawal behavior. The state of the art with respect to the motivational procedures teachers employ with students is in question. This paper attempts to answer by dealing with these related areas: (1) Is student motivation for achieving desired educational outcomes of concern to educators?; (2) Is current motivational theory adequate for explaining student motivation? Is it useful for increasing student motivation?; and (3) What kinds of research strategies are appropriate for formulating and validating procedures for increasing student motivation? It is indicated that many conditions of learning are related to consistently low educational achievement and disruptive student conduct. The suggestion is that the development and validation of motivational procedures in schools require problem-solving research in which researchers and practitioners together attempt to find ways of increasing motivation among particular students in particular schools. Other conditions of learning and teaching require research, along with motivation, because inadequacies in the school's curricular, instructional and advising arrangements and home-school relations are a major source of motivational problems. (Author/GSK)