A better understanding of how to improve student retention in engineering is required to support students in completing engineering degrees and entering the workforce. Application processes to engineering majors are one barrier to retention in some engineering programs. This study evaluates demographic, grades, application process, and engineering…

Non-science majors often lack motivation to take science courses required for their graduation, because these courses are usually taught in a lecture format and are disconnected from their everyday life and needs related to future careers. This two-phase action research, utilizing argumentative writing (AW) supported with online simulation, was…

Argumentative writing advances students' understanding of scientific concepts, ability to communicate, and scientific literacy. However, it remains unclear which components of argumentative writing drive such advancement. Further, most studies on argumentative writing have focused on students majoring in science, rather than in the nonsciences.…

Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the purpose of this study was to identify the extent to which variables proposed by the extended TPB (i.e., attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and value of music) were associated with non-music majors' intentions to continue participating in ensembles. The final sample included…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is useful to English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, but there is a paucity of research on how they perceive AI. Contextualized in a Chinese university setting, this study investigated Chinese university EFL learners' perceptions of Grammarly in English writing. Based on an extended technology acceptance model…

Our study explored how adolescents' experiences and musical preferences might relate to musical identity, and the likelihood of engaging in musical activities as adults. Participants were 170 first-year university students, both music majors and non-music majors. A questionnaire collected participants' responses regarding beliefs about music, as…

Chinese students are frequently seen as passive learners because of their apparent reluctance to speak, particularly in English classrooms. However, this impression seems to reflect a stereotype which is likely to confound willingness to communicate (WTC) and communication behaviour. In this article we argue for more attention to be paid to…

This study used a quasi-experimental design to examine the effects of argumentative writing on non-science majors' conceptual understanding and the growth of their writing skills over a semester. To assess gain in conceptual knowledge, tests were given before and after the course; students in the writing group gained significantly more than…

Low retention rates of undergraduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields are a persistent problem in the USA. Information and knowledge of STEM topics is valuable in today's modern and global society, and STEM jobs are both lucrative and in high demand. As such, engagement and retention of undergraduate students in…

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to compare the effects of new developmental statistics-based courses to traditional algebra-based developmental courses. The study used extant data from eight institutions and a matched sample of 2,041 students (Treatment, N = 748; Comparison, N = 1,293). All students enrolled in a treatment or…

This short-term longitudinal study examined antecedents (academic achievement and achievement goal orientations) of undergraduates' cost perceptions, and the relations between cost perceptions and later achievement. Two waves of data were collected in one semester from 86 diverse students enrolled in a general education biology course for…

Hardy-Weinberg (HW) equilibrium and its accompanying equations are widely taught in introductory biology courses, but high math anxiety and low math proficiency have been suggested as two barriers to student success. Population-level Punnett squares have been presented as a potential tool for HW equilibrium, but actual data from classrooms have…

Current literature confirms that self-efficacy, academic self-concept, and participation in undergraduate research influence the academic performance and aspirations of students. However, a gap in the literature remains as research has yet to explore whether students who have participated in research have a higher sense of research self-efficacy…

The concepts of randomness and variation are pervasive in science. The purpose of this study was to document how post-secondary life science students explain randomness and variation, infer relationships between their explanations, and ability to describe and identify appropriate and inappropriate variation, and determine if students can identify…

The present study investigates the relationship between university learners' English learning motivation and their willingness to communicate in English (L2 WTC) in EFL classroom under the big environment of Thailand joining the AEC (ASEAN Economic Community). By applying mixed methods, data is collected and the findings can be summarized as…