Background: In recent years, the widespread use of technology in classrooms has encouraged the transition from traditional lecture methods to digital-based learning environments. Technological game-based learning platforms, such as Kahoot!, which are used to encourage students' active participation and interaction in learning environments, are…

At many institutions of higher education, first-year seminars are meant to help students transition to college life and to provide them with resources and skills to develop socially and academically, supporting persistence (Jamelske, 2009; Janz, 2004). Since their inception, researchers have evaluated the effectiveness of these seminars and their…

Scholarship on first-year seminar (FYS) courses is rapidly growing and diversifying. However, the available knowledge, for the most part, remains fragmented and limited to only one institutional setting, seminar type, or student group. Accordingly, this meta-synthesis was designed to examine 2 decades of research on FYS courses to determine the…

The worldwide problem of teacher recruitment and retention is particularly pronounced in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects, due in part to a lack of trainee teachers and to high rates of attrition. The teacher shortage has resulted in non-specialist teachers teaching STEM subjects and is likely to have a negative…

Introduction: Out-of-school time (OST) programs can have a positive impact on youth outcomes, including academic achievement and social-emotional development. However, there are vast inequities in program accessibility and quality, with low-income adolescents being particularly underserved. This study synthesizes research on OST programs serving…

Many nontraditional students specifically enroll in online degree programs for the scheduling flexibility they afford, given that these students are often balancing work, family, and other obligations. Nevertheless, obligations beyond the classroom are often prioritized when compared to traditional students. Lack of resources and a general…

University science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) summer bridge programs provide incoming STEM university students additional course work and preparation before they begin their studies. These programs are designed to reduce attrition and increase the diversity of students pursuing STEM majors and STEM career paths. A meta-analysis of…

Background: A raft of initiatives and reforms have been introduced in many countries to attract and recruit school teachers, many of which do not have a clear evidence base, so their effectiveness remains unclear. Prior research has been largely correlational in design. This paper describes a rigorous and comprehensive review of international…

Over the last decades, extensive research has given considerable attention to teachers' burnout. Owing to its negative personal, organizational, and social impacts (e.g., mental ill health, decreased work performance, turnover), intervention and prevention efforts have consequently been employed to minimize the effects of this phenomenon/syndrome.…

To boost college graduation rates, policymakers often advocate for academic supports such as coaching or mentoring. Proactive and intensive coaching interventions are effective, but are costly and difficult to scale. We evaluate a relatively lower-cost group coaching program targeted at first-year college students placed on academic probation.…

Many colleges are pursuing innovative alternative approaches for the development of education that aims to accelerate students' progress in gaining important academic competencies. Summer bridge programs are one such approach. These bridge programs offer underprepared and at-risk students the opportunity to advance toward college-level coursework…

The present literature review explores research on characteristics of effective Living Learning Communities as a means to inform the continued development of a new LLC at Cleveland State University, a large urban, Predominately White University (PWU). Research on retention and persistence is explored with respect to students' strengths and…

Grow Your Own (GYO) programs are cited in recent policy briefs as viable pathways for increasing the racial/ethnic diversity of teachers, yet recent scholarship on GYO programs is minimal. To address this issue, this article investigates what we know, and do not know, about GYO programs, by examining a range of data sources on different types of…

Teacher preparation refers to a "state-approved course of study, the completion of which signifies that an enrollee has met all the state's educational or training requirements for initial certification or licensure to teach in the state's elementary or secondary schools" (Department of Education, 2016, p. 6). The widespread concern for…

The past three decades have seen charter schools emerge as a prominent and controversial alternative to traditional public schools. This policy brief examines "Thirty Years of Charter Schools: What Does Lottery-Based Research Tell Us?" which summarizes 40 studies that have used lottery research designs to analyze how charter schools…