To address the seven guiding questions posed for authors of articles in this special issue, we begin by discussing the development (in the late 1970s-early 1980s) of Eccles' expectancy-value theory of achievement choice (EEVT), a theory developed to explain the cultural phenomenon of why girls were less likely to participate in STEM courses and…

Introduction: The objective of the present study was to determine if emotional intelligence and family stress are predictors of satisfaction with studies in university students. Method: Cross-sectional predictive study with a quantitative approach. The population was made up of 414 university students of both sexes who applied the TMMS-24…

College students experience a lot of stress during their academic career. Chronic stress can lead to an elevated risk of depression. Untreated depression in college students can lead to negative impacts on the student's academic performance and reduce the student's quality of life (Deng et al., 2022). Positive social support has been shown to…

We aimed to identify individual (family) and school protective factors that are critical to academic success among African American students, using Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. A total of 2020 African American students in 463 schools from the Educational Longitudinal Study provided data. We developed a multilevel logistic model…

Both parasympathetic nervous system regulation and receipt of social support from close relationships contribute to prosocial development, although few studies have examined their combined influences in adolescence and particularly within racially and ethnically minoritized populations. In this longitudinal study of 229 U.S. Mexican-origin…

Purpose: First-generation students (FGS) experience numerous challenges during their studies because of their background attributes and lack of social capital required to navigate institutions of higher learning. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of perceived social support and a sense of belonging on academic persistence…

Objective: Changes in surroundings and social relationships may heighten feelings of loneliness, suggesting the need to measure as a state. This study tested whether loneliness fluctuates within and across days and the resultant associations with psychological distress. Further it tested familism as a moderator as endorsing this cultural value may…

This study uses structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis techniques, with the aim of testing the structural effect of family support, entrepreneurial training, on entrepreneurial intentions, with self-efficacy and student achievement motivation as mediators. A total of 203 students participated in this study, through a questionnaire distributed…

The objective of the study was to examine how distinct psychopathic traits, including callous-unemotional (CU) traits, impulsivity and narcissism, as well as family, school and friend social support are longitudinally associated with cyberbullying and cyber-victimization. Associations were investigated by employing a four-year longitudinal design…

Research Findings: This study aimed to investigate the developmental path of social skills in early childhood, the associated predictors, and its impact on later school performance. This prospective longitudinal study included 2,121 children, ages 3-5 at baseline, from the general population in a mid-sized Swedish municipality. Results show both…

Out-of-classroom activities can help cultivate interest and literacy in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. To determine how a week-long out-of-classroom experience might impact STEM interest in adolescents, a free summer camp was offered to students entering grades 6-8. During this time, students participated in…

Students' physics self-efficacy, interest, and identity in introductory courses can influence their outcomes in that course and their future career aspirations. A lot of work has focused on the role these motivational beliefs play in students' outcomes without attention to the role the perception of the inclusiveness of the learning environment…

Self-regulated learning is recognized as a core competence for academic success and life-long formation. The social context in which self-regulated learning develops and takes place is attracting growing interest. Using cross-sectional data from secondary education students (n = 561), we aimed to formulate explanatory arguments regarding the…

Executive functions (EFs) in early childhood are predictors of later developmental outcomes and school readiness. Much of the research on EFs and their psychosocial correlates has been conducted in high-income, minority world countries, which represent a small and biased portion of children globally. The aim of this study is to examine EFs among…

Background: Students' interest in STEM careers is governed by various factors: (i) family influences, (ii) out-of-school time learning experiences, (iii) inside-of-school learning experiences, and (iii) media influences. Previous studies often investigate the direct influence of these factors, collectively known as environmental factors, on…