Research consistently demonstrates that the quality of student-staff interactions matters for positive student outcomes. Some research studies also suggest that identity similarities (homophily) often contribute to meaningful human connections. Yet, the influence of student and staff identities on teaching and learning in higher education is less…

The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore the autonomous motivation of General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level (GCE O'L) science teachers and whether the self-efficacy of their students influences their autonomous motivation. Self-determination theory was used as the theoretical basis for the research. The research questions…

This study was undertaken to investigate the use and motivations behind teachers' engagement in social networks, while exploring their self-presentations and attitudes within these digital communities. The aim was to shed light on the relationship between real-life and digital communities by focusing on teachers as a specific demographic group. To…

This study is the first systematic review of research on outdoor learning occurring in all disciplines and interdisciplinary areas of study at higher education institutions in the United States and published in refereed English language journals. The article describes characteristics of outdoor learning research (OLR) and outdoor learning (OL). It…

We investigated direct experiences with nature and socialization as predictors of preschool-aged children's environmental moral reasoning. Children (n = 146; 52.7% male) from three U.S. states completed biophilia and environmental moral reasoning interviews. Parents (n=98) completed surveys about their children's activities in natural areas and…

Art is a common approach for communicating and educating about science, yet it remains unclear the extent to which science art can benefit varied audiences in varied contexts. To examine this gap, we developed an art exhibit based on the findings of two publications in disease ecology. In study 1, we asked visitors with varying formal science,…

In recent times, climate change has become an increasingly significant and pressing issue of ethical, social, political, economic, and environmental concern. Although mandatory attendance laws are important, we argue in the Canadian context that it is possible and indeed necessary to support an educational agenda that takes social activism…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand better the experiences of Black women, their unique encounters caused by the intersectionality of their race and gender, and the support strategies they rely on to navigate the environment of the United States STEM field. The study's theoretical foundations were the Critical Race…

Curiosity -- broadly defined as the desire to acquire new information -- enhances learning and memory in adults. In addition, interest in the information (i.e., when the information is processed) can also facilitate later memory. To date, it is not known how states of pre-information curiosity and post-information interest enhance memory in…

This article proposes the living journals method for remotely studying participants, elevating participant agency in the data generation process and minimising or completely removing the need for a researcher to be physically present in the field. Employing this method, the paper describes how the method was used to explore 5-year-old children's…

This qualitative study examined the experiences of faculty members who have participated in cross-racial mentoring experiences at four-year public universities. This study explored faculty members' experiences and the impact of race on the relationship. Mentoring was an avenue that positively impacted the trajectory of the mentees' careers. This…

In this commentary, the two critical attributes of seductive details are described through a historical lens: relevance and interest. For each of these attributes, various forms that have populated the seductive detail literature are distinguished, and the specific manner in which each is interpreted by contributors to the Special Issue is…

Curiosity and interest are at the core of human inquiry. However, controversies remain about how best to conceptualize these constructs. I propose to derive definitions by attending to the common core of typical usages of the two terms. Using this approach, curiosity can be defined as a psychological state that includes three components:…

My purpose in this commentary was to seek out any common ground that might be found for theory and research on curiosity and interest as detailed by the contributors to this special issue. Despite the numerous differences that these authors demarcated, several areas of concurrence were readily identified. Those seven areas are, thus, specified and…

In some social situations, autistic people feel pressure to modify their innate social behaviour (i.e. camouflage), while in other social situations they feel free to engage in ways that feel authentic or true to themselves. To date, the latter aspect of autistic people's experience has rarely been explored. Using an online qualitative survey,…