Encouraging a Continuing Personal Investment in Learning

The writing of this book was in part supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation(NSFEHR 0335369). It represents a significant extension and enriched interpretation of earlierwork on motivation as an instructional outcome (e.g., Maehr, 1976). Such enrichment andenhancement was prompted by the work on the project as it was conceptualized and envisionedby Paul Pintrich---and later, following his untimely death, carried out by a cadre of students andcolleagues, including especially his Wife, Life Partner and also oft-time collaborator in multipleresearch and scholarly endeavors: Dr. Elizabeth DeGroot as well as several colleagues,including, the author of this volume and Dr. Stuart Karabenick.Of course, it is the primary author of this volume who must bear the responsibility foromissions, errors and interpretations that may have slipped into the text. But whatever portions of this volume may be deemed worthyof consideration and possibly of some value for fellow scholars presently or in the future --- and also contribute in at least some smallway not only to continuing scholarly study of The Most important attitude that can be formed: That of Desire to go on Learning. Buttherewith here and there also prove useful not only for scholars and the development of an increased understanding of the nature andnurture of motivation and its impact on the pursuit of knowledge but also prove useful to students in preparing to become educators---and perhaps also of value to experienced educational practitioners ---- and here there maybe also to parents and others with a concernfor the nature and nurture of excellence in teaching and learning.