Although a vast body of studies regarding the variables related to students' achievement exists, only a handful has investigated how these variables combine and interact together. Such an investigation might make it possible to more accurately illustrate the heterogeneity of students enrolling in university and assess the impact of this diversity…

A large number of children are today receiving special education in Norway. The high cost to society and possible long-term consequences for the students make it important to understand the interrelationship of the causes and effects related to receiving special education services. Unfortunately, at present there are only few rigorous studies of…

The present study aimed to investigate the diverse aspects of prospective teachers' dispositional hopes, teaching-specific hopes, and their sources, as well as to explore whether these would significantly predict their preparation for the teaching profession. A total of 851 prospective teachers voluntarily participated in the study. A series of…

Research has been carried out on students' epistemological development in higher education for at least 50 years. Researchers on both sides of the Atlantic have converged on accounts that describe students' epistemological development in terms of a sequence or hierarchy of qualitatively distinct stages or positions. The rich qualitative data…

Using assessment data to determine student growth has become an integral part of the accountability movement, and researchers and educators are currently examining how new rules impact the academic assessment of gifted learners. In 2008, the Association for the Gifted's Annual Symposium at the Council for Exceptional Children Convention focused on…

Disparities in college access for underrepresented urban students are one of the most urgent educational problems of America's education system. In response to growing national concern, this longitudinal study investigated how school leaders worked collaboratively with key stakeholders to implement research-supported student services in order to…

Students with moderate intellectual disabilities (MoID) typically are not taught decoding skills because they have difficulty mastering critical blending skills. In response to this skill deficit among students with MoID, an "Initial Phonics" instructional sequence was created that included student development of rapid and automatic retrieval of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among college age student's experiences in close friendship, emotional autonomy and reasons to live. This study was grounded in Attachment Theory and College Student Development. A sample of undergraduate students was drawn from one Southeastern U.S. university. A total of 441 participants…

Describes the analytical procedure, contextual analysis. Suggests ways to use it to assess the group effects of residence arrangement on student development. Provides an empirical example that shows how contextual analysis may be used to identify the specific dimensions underlying residence group influences on freshman academic performance.…

The long-term effects of undergraduate involvement on advanced degree attainment and career choice were studied. The longitudinal study involved 299 freshmen who entered college between 1973 and 1976 and participated in the institutional research program's followup questionnaire 17-20 years later. Astin's Input-Environment Outcomes model and…