Over the past two decades, writing studies scholars have continually stressed the importance of fostering the development of student metacognition in the writing classroom. Not only does the development of a metacognitive awareness of the writing process help students to become stronger writers, it also allows them to more successfully transfer…

Students who return from an immersion experience often report that it was "life-changing," but how do we know that students' lives have changed, especially when change is best measured several months or years after the immersion? Each year, 1.6 million Americans participate in short-term immersion experiences or missions outside the…

The arts have been part of human endeavor throughout the history of civilization. They have defined cultures and enriched our lives. Despite their value, the arts have not been given equal priority with other academic disciplines, either in K-12 or in tertiary education. Recognizing the value of arts education for the overall cognitive development…

How do engineering students approach mathematical modelling problems and how can they learn to deal with such problems? In the context of a course in mathematical modelling and problem solving, and using a qualitative case study approach, we found that the students had little prior experience of mathematical modelling. They were also inexperienced…

College students' implicit theories (or mindsets) about intelligence can affect not only their motivations toward learning, but also their cognitive habits and behaviors while learning thus impacting academic achievement. In this paper we describe learning experiences we used with our learning community to 1) introduce students to the concept of…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to inform and advance the body of knowledge of the contribution that "Peer Assisted Study Sessions" (PASS) provides for student leaders in terms of its impact on their self-efficacy--the personal belief in competence to succeed within certain situations (Bandura, 1986). To date, there has been…

This comparative research examined the effects of student involvement and college environment on students' learning and living experience delivered by two aspiring world-class universities in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Few studies have shown how the levels of student involvement and college environment can benefit students at world-class institution.…

Nearly 100 students were given a Pre-Test in psychology on the first day of class without warning in order to assess their knowledge of basic course content derived from the prerequisites of the course (PSYC-100 Introduction to Psychology or PSYC-220 Child Development) and other life experiences. This was intended as a low-stakes testing…

The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of the 3 Ps: Planning, Preparation and Perseverance, in reference to cognitive and social development within America's society. When employed as learning tools, these 3 Ps play a vital role in reaching achievement, and are essential in the accomplishment of successful growth and development.…

This study surveyed 169 freshman students at Wheelock College to identify generational shifts in play experiences, students' play histories, later college and placement site experiences, and the extent to which play was a part of students' professional identities. Subjects in the study were primarily Caucasian females between 17 and 19 years of…

Results of a study involving 431 college students suggests that student construct system development plays an influential role in students' evaluation of teachers. As construct differentiation increased, students were increasingly able to separate task from interpersonal relational concerns in their evaluations of teachers. (IAH)

Many science educators are concerned with students' ability to understand science as a process and with their conceptions of scientific knowledge. Preliminary work has shown that the use of a model organizer can result in student perceptions of improved understanding, but the reason for this effect is not known. This research was undertaken to…

Results of a systematic investigation into university students' (n=236) misunderstandings of d.c. simple circuit operations are reported. These results provide evidence of various misconceptions present before and after teaching the following topics: a battery as a source of constant current; the functional relation expressed by Ohm's law; power…

Values and the process of valuing were studied among college students. A framework for conceptualizing college student values developed over a period of 2 years by a 10-member faculty and staff committee at Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond) involved the movement of students from recognition of values, through critical thinking, to…

This study examined the contribution of classroom learning environment and teaching and learning effectiveness variables to student learning and learning efficacy in higher education settings. It attempted to identify classroom environment characteristics that differentiate high- and low- academic-efficacy student groups and the teaching and…