Play is a central feature of childhood and a fundamental right of all children. Currently, our understanding of autistic play is based on a deficit perspective, most often framed in comparison to neurotypical 'norms' and assumptions where the views of the players themselves have been overlooked. In moving towards a strengths-based neuroaffirmative…

This qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of first-at-institution female community college presidents in the United States, focusing on the social influences they encountered. Despite community colleges serving a large number of female, underrepresented, and low-socioeconomic students, leadership roles are…

Game-based learning has been recognised as a strategy to increase students' engagement in higher education. Alternate reality games (ARG) provide players with the opportunity to apply newly developed knowledge and skills, such as visiting important campus locations and completing relevant activities. The collaborative nature of these games means…

Autobiographical memory supports three functions of remembering past, the self, social, and directive. Previous studies undertaken with adults recalling their play experiences have identified three aspects: the ages between 7 and 12 years are key; there are significant adults involved in the play and location that play talks place. This paper,…

The phenomena of connection, competence, and self-efficacy have not been explored in the context of an after-school girls club. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of nine girls engaged in a quilting project in an after-school program for expressions of connection, competence, and self-efficacy using a feminist quilting…

In this study, we examined how undergraduates talk about their experiences of loneliness. Six focus group discussions were conducted with 42 undergraduates (29 women, 13 men) at a private university. We coded participants' comments by themes. Themes that occurred most frequently included: (1) ingroups vs. outgroups, (2) intervention for…

Novice teacher induction is not well studied nor developed for non-native teachers in foreign countries. Consequently, there is a high turnover rate among novice teachers in those countries. This study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences, acculturation, and coping mechanisms of novice teachers in Honduras. The methodology that…

The prevalence of anxiety is higher in autistic young people, compared to neurotypical youths. However, the nature of worry in autistic young people is under-researched. Transition from secondary school is a time of change and can be challenging for autistic adolescents. This project explored the content and emotional impact of worries in…

First-generation college students (FGCS) experience high rates of attrition compared to continuing generation college students. FGCS frequently identify with several other historically marginalized identities on college campuses. The development of a sense of belonging on-campus is one of the main drivers of retention. The current study examines…

This study examined early adolescent romantic "churning," defined here as having a large number of boyfriends/girlfriends by age 13, as a problematic marker likely to predict hostility, abuse, and avoidance during conflict in later relationships. A sample of 184 adolescents was followed through age 24 to assess predictions of hostility,…

This mixed-methods study explores international undergraduates' perceptions of social engagement with American peers at a US university comparing online to face-to-face environments. It addresses gaps in research on the social engagement of international undergraduates and on employing participant-generated visual approaches to investigation.…

Background: Few studies discuss social inclusion from the voice and perspective of young adults with intellectual disability who have been lifelong recipients of individualised community-based coordination and services focusing on inclusion and participation. It is important to understand the perspective of people with an intellectual disability…

The self-forgiveness process may be considered emotionally taxing among college students. The current study explored college students' past intrapersonal transgressions (n = 88) through two outcomes (able or unable to forgive oneself). Using NVivo 11 Pro software, thematic analyses revealed the most common situational circumstances and internal…

This study investigates from their perspectives, the educational experiences of twelve autistic young people (aged 11-17 years) for whom mainstream was, or is, challenging. This paper focuses on one theme from this study and presents how these young people experience, define and conceptualise inclusion. A flexible qualitative participatory…

Character strengths such as love, kindness and forgiveness promote emotional health, positive relationships and enhanced well-being for children and adults. Yet little research has investigated how early childhood educators practice love, kindness and forgiveness at work, or how they observe these virtues in children. A strength-spotting…