The purpose of this study was to address the role of social comparison in determining individual development by exploring the relationship of four types of social comparison with academic persistence-procrastination and subjective well-being among Chinese adolescents (n = 530, M[subscript age] = 14.59) from both variable- and person-centered…

This study explored the learning experiences of first-year information technology students at the beginning of their studies. Identifying the early experiences is important, as we know they can predict later challenges and persistence in studies. We focus on a novel understanding of relations between learning approaches, self-efficacy and burnout…

This study examined online graduate students' perceived learning styles and perceptions of factors that influenced their overall academic achievement in online courses. The study explored relationships between the learning styles and the factors identified as influencing achievement. Previous research produced mixed results when evaluating the…

Higher education has seen a significant shift in the last two decades, with contemporary students representing more diverse cohorts who are increasingly balancing study alongside competing life-roles and responsibilities. Given the rise in student attrition and concerns regarding engagement, we saw a visible need to consider how our students could…

Positive Youth Development (PYD) model is a strength-based perspective of transition to adulthood derived from developmental systems theory. Developmental assets (DAs) framework describes the individual and contextual resources that may promote PYD. This work aims to analyze the associations between internal and external DAs and PYD, as well as…

Despite rapid growth in the popularity of massive open online courses (MOOCs), few studies have investigated learning outcomes among participating university learners. We first examined student growth in terms of knowledge, attitudes, skills, and aspirations (KASA). We then explored the relationships between learning outcomes and three learner…

The aim of this study was to verify if external factors influence persistence in online courses in higher education. These external factors, borrowed from Kember's (1995) model, included some students' characteristics; cost benefits; social integration of adult students (enrolment encouragement, study encouragement, and family support); and…

Study programme withdrawal and student perseverance in post-secondary education are major challenges for post-secondary institutions, especially in view of the increasing difficulty of retaining the student clientele during the first year of university studies. To analyse the challenges students face in terms of learning strategies, we asked…

In many disciplines, the doctorate is the highest academic degree. Doctoral education is a complex process that includes transformation through knowledge acquisition and professional identity development (Gardner, 2009). Typically, the scope of the doctoral experience includes years of coursework, successfully passing a comprehensive or qualifying…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationships between a student's personality traits of grit (persistence, goal-setting, passion, tenacity, time management, goal achievement, and perseverance), a student's self-reported satisfaction in the course, and the final grade a student receives in an online course.…

In the present study, we conducted a quantitative evaluation of a novel First Year Seminar (FYS) program with a coordinated curriculum implemented at a public, four-year university to assess its potential role in undergraduate student persistence decisions and academic success. Participants were 2,188 first-year students, 342 of whom completed the…

The population of 674 first-year student-athletes culled from 5 successive freshman classes (2004-2008) at a mid-size midwestern university was examined to determine what combination of demographic, academic, and athletic variables best predicted retention into the 2nd academic year. The dependent variable of retention was chosen because it is a…

Over the past five decades, numerous theories about college student attrition have attempted to explain student departure. Conclusions drawn by the literature broadly acknowledge that students are less likely to depart if they are academically engaged and socially integrated with the campus. Further, students who reside in a campus residence hall…

This study investigated whether academic non-achievers differed from academic achievers in terms of their personal characteristics. A sample of 216 undergraduate students that were either enrolled in a college restoration program or part of a control group were administered the "16PF-5 Personality Questionnaire" (Cattell, Cattell, & Cattell, 1993)…

This qualitative case study explored how three expert secondary special education teachers in Hawaii constructed their perceived roles and successfully negotiated their job demands. There is a strong connection between role problems and special education teachers leaving the profession. The special education teacher shortage has a direct impact on…