Nationally, teacher candidates struggle to pass the Praxis examination, which they need to be licensed. Little research has been done to examine the characteristics and learning strategies of teacher candidates who pass and who do not pass the Praxis examination. Studies have shown benefits in the use of self-regulation and achievement in courses…

Background: Encouraging students to adopt a mastery goal orientation can help increase learning and motivation. However, the effect of mastery goal orientation interventions specifically in upper-division online elective psychology courses has not been studied. Objective: The purpose of this replication study was to examine the effects of a…

The study differentiates between two types of performance approach goals (competence demonstration performance approach goal and normative performance approach goal) by examining their unique effects on self-efficacy, interest, and fear of failure. Seventy-nine students completed questionnaires that measure performance approach goals,…

The current study explored the impact of internal and external barriers (e.g., academic anxiety, employment) that place subgroups of college students at risk for academic failure in the first year. The mitigating potential of academic resource management strategies (e.g., time-study environment) was also examined. In a sample of 885 first-semester…

In this study we aimed to understand who was struggling in freshman calculus courses, and why. Concentrating on the Fall sections of the class, the best predictors for success (R[superscript 2] = 0.4) were placement test results, the student's own appraisal of the quality of mathematics teaching they received in high school, and the Motivated…

In a national context of high failure rates in freshman calculus courses, the purpose of this study was to understand who is struggling, and why. High failure rates are especially alarming given a local environment where students have access to a variety of academic, and personal, assistance. The sample consists of students at Colorado State…

The linkages of achievement-related boredom with students' appraisals and performance outcomes were examined in a series of 5 exploratory, cross-sectional, and predictive investigations. Studies 1 and 2 assessed students' boredom in a single achievement episode (i.e., state achievement boredom); Studies 3, 4, and 5 focused on their habitual…

One of the most frustrating teaching dilemmas in post-secondary education is helping students who claim to have mastered the course content but are unable to demonstrate their understanding. These students are often convinced they have a command of the material and may even be able to persuade their instructor that their failure is due to the…

This study analyzed college students' use of motivational strategies in academic contexts. Participants included 11 male and 26 female undergraduate students enrolled in psychology courses at an urban university, who completed the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Analysis focused primarily on responses to the following sample…