cover image Engaging Minds: Motivation and Learning in America's Schools

Engaging Minds: Motivation and Learning in America's Schools

David A. Goslin. Rowman & Littlefield Education, $32.95 (216pp) ISBN 978-0-8108-4713-2

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from taking an interest in their studies, and, thus, from achieving academic success, in this in-depth but somewhat outdated analysis.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.