Attitudes; Student Motivation; *Teacher

The monograph summarizes research on students' beliefs or ideas about: (1) teachers ' instructional behavior, (2) cognitive processes used during instruction, (3) differential treatment by teachers, (4) attributions for student performance, and (5) classroom learning environments. Students ' cognitions or thought processes during instruction are considered to be a critical intervening variable between the teacher's delivery of instruction anC student achievement. Three major implications for assessment and instructional intervention for mildly handicapped students are addressed: (1) there is evidence that assessment of the relationship between student attention and achievement should include student self-report; (2) teachers should use student interpretations and information to improve instructional effectivenness; and (3) when students are consistently unengaged or exhibit high rates of off-task behavior, teachers should check the appropriateness of the instructional match and student beliefs about their ability to succeed. Fifty-five references are appended. (Author/DB) * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. *