One innovative way to help students make sense of survey research has been to create a multifaceted, collaborative assignment that promotes critical thinking, comparative analysis, self-reflection, and statistical literacy. We use a short questionnaire adapted from the Higher Education Research Institute's Cooperative Institutional Research…

A multi-year study investigated the impact of incorporating student-directed discovery projects into introductory statistics courses. Pilot instructors at institutions across the United States taught statistics implementing student-directed projects with the help of a common set of instructional materials designed to facilitate such projects.…

Existing literature examining the teaching of research methods highlights difficulties students face when developing research competencies. Studies of student-centred teaching approaches have found increased student performance and improved confidence in undertaking research projects. To develop a student-centred approach, it could be beneficial…

The scientific process is nonlinear, unpredictable, and ongoing. Assessing the nature of science is difficult with methods that rely on Likert-scale or multiple-choice questions. This study evaluated conceptions about the scientific process using student-created visual representations that we term "flowcharts." The methodology,…

Research has revealed that second language learners often seem passive and reticent in language classrooms. In the age of globalization, however, there is an urgent need for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers to enhance their reticent students' confidence to help them take part more actively in classroom oral activities. In line with…

We evaluate the extent to which ePortfolios can be used to assess applied and collaborative learning and academic identity among community college students from underrepresented minority groups who participated in a summer research program. Thirty-eight students were evaluated by their research sponsor and two or three naïve faculty evaluators.…

To increase the interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) among high school students, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) created the "High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware" (HUNCH) program. To enhance the experience of the students, NASA sponsored two additional projects that require…

Designed for students and educational professionals researching students' movement into and through higher education, "Crafting and Conducting Research on Student Transitions" is a concise resource, describing both qualitative and quantitative methods. The authors walk readers through the process of selecting a topic, designing a study,…

This paper is based upon experiments developed as part of a Directed Research course designed to provide undergraduate biology students experience in the principles and processes of the scientific method used in biological research. The project involved the evaluation of herbal remedies used in many parts of the world in the treatment of diseases…

THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO FIND OUT IF RELATIONSHIPS EXIST BETWEEN COLLEGE SUBCULTURES AND STUDENT VALUES. ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-NINE STUDENTS IN THE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE WERE ADMINISTERED THE STUDY OF VALUES, WHICH MEASURES SIX VALUE ORIENTATIONS, AND THE CLARK-TROW TYPOLOGY WHICH DESCRIBES FOUR STUDENT…

Cumulative grade-point averages (GPAs) of all two- and four-year public and private college transfers who graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the academic year 1974-75 were compared with those of native students after controlling for academic aptitude through a multivariate analysis of covariance procedure. No…

COLLEGE OBJECTIVES WERE REDEFINED AND STUDENT CHANGE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE WHETHER--(1) STUDENTS CHANGE IN COLLEGE, (2) WHEN AND WHERE CHANGE OCCURS, AND (3) DEVELOPMENTAL PRINCIPLES WHICH COULD APPLY TO STUDENT CHANGE TO FACILITATE DECISIONS. DEFINITIONAL ACTIVITIES YIELDED SIX MAJOR SUBCATEGORIES OF BEHAVIORS AND STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS--GOAL…

In an attempt to define characteristics of a good college student, this study compared the characteristics of recent honor graduates by honors level. The data centered on highest honors, high honors, and honors graduates during three recent graduation periods. Analysis of the data obtained through university records and through responses to a…

MANY OF THE 150 ITEMS FORMING THE PACE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ENVIRONMENT SCALES (CUES), AN INSTRUMENT FOR ASSESSING COLLEGE STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT, FALL WITHIN THE CATEGORY OF HIGH RESPONSE VARIABILITY (50 PERCENT TRUE AND 50 PERCENT FALSE RESPONSES). THE AUTHOR HYPOTHESIZED THAT THIS VARIABILITY IS ATTRIBUTABLE TO CERTAIN…

This study was designed to determine whether personality need factors are related to college student satisfaction. Two-hundred twenty-six students in a small, church related college completed instruments designed to measure personality need factors and college student satisfaction. Canonical correlation analysis was used to analyze the student…