Critical thinking is a required curricular outcome for nursing education; however, the literature shows a gap related to valid and reliable tools to measure critical thinking specific to nursing and relating that critical thinking measurement to meaningful outcomes. This study examined critical thinking scores, as measured by Assessment…

This study examined factors that may affect the retention of first-time, full-time college freshmen to sophomore year. Institutions in the Appalachian College Association (ACA) were invited to participate, and nine of the 35 member schools provided data. The research questions were (1) Is there a relationship between retention for students'…

There is a paucity of research on the digital literacy of graduate-level students. The study examined whether academic discipline, age, gender, race, parental education, international status, GPA, and self-perceived skills is associated with web-use skills among this population. Hargittai and Hsieh's 27-item Web-use Skills Index was used to…

This is a predictive validity study which aimed at examining the validity strength of College Entrance Assessment (CEA) scores, EGSLCE (Ethiopian General School Leaving Certificate Examination) and High School Average Transcript (HSAT) in predicting college students' academic success as measured by first year CGPA. For this purpose, 2015 regular…

This paper aims to explore social inequalities in school achievement and educational decision-making of the final-year students of secondary schools in the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County, Croatia (N = 534). The theoretical framework of the paper was Bourdieu's theory of cultural and social reproduction (1977a). The main objectives were an…

This study evaluates an interactive web-based homework designed to increase student understanding in a principles of microeconomics course. Employing concepts from Action Research, the preliminary investigation was undertaken based on assumptions about the efficacy of online educational resources. Do students who do well on online homework improve…

The Baccalaureate Nursing program in San Antonio, Texas experienced a decrease in National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) on the first attempt for students graduating between 2009 and 2014 without a clear explanation for the decline. The purpose of this quantitative non-experimental correlational study was to…

Academic performance is a primary predictor of college graduation, yet few studies have examined one of the earliest indicators of academic performance--first-semester grade point average (GPA). Given the considerable public and private investment in ensuring access for underrepresented students, a focus on the role of first-semester GPA for these…

Research on the influence of class size on student academic achievement is important for university instructors, administrators, and students. The article examines the influence of class size--a small section versus a large section--in introductory political science courses on student grades in two comparable semesters. It is expected that…

The purpose of this quantitative study is to replicate and advance Kiley & Gable's (2013) work in examining the empirical relationship between SSAT scores and academic outcomes. Data is used relating to students accepted and enrolled in 9th grade at St. Andrew's School--a private elite boarding school--in the Fall of 2010 and Fall of 2011.…

The purpose of this study was to determine if individual and institutional factors predict candidates' performance on the Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer (BOC) examination and to determine if institutions' demographic profiles of athletic training predict pass rates on the BOC examination for people of color (POC). A BOC candidate…

Do undergraduates whose native language is not English have writing deficiencies leading to academic struggles? The present study showed that the answer to this question was "no" at an American West Coast public university. This university's nonresident undergraduates on average earned B- to B+ in their colleges' English…

The majority of high school students, particularly underrepresented minorities (URMs) from low socioeconomic backgrounds are graduating from high school less prepared academically for advanced-level college mathematics. Using 2009 and 2010 course enrollment data, several statistical analyses (multiple linear regression, Cochran Mantel Haenszel…

This quantitative study aimed to examine (1) the pre-service teachers' attitudes toward the teaching profession and (2) whether their attitudes are impacted by the pedagogical formation courses that are part of teacher preparation. The findings of the pre-test showed that participants had positive attitudes toward teaching as a profession.…

The purpose of this study was to assess the merit of the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal as a pre-admission criterion in conjunction with the frequently utilized admission criteria of the college prerequisite grade point average and the National League of Nursing pre-admission test. Data were collected from 192 first-year nursing…