Studies have shown that raising L2 learners' metaphor awareness contributes to the acquisition of figurative language, which fosters students' development of language skills. However, the instruments measuring metaphor awareness, in the majority of relevant research, did not seem to have undergone proper methodological procedures for checking…

The aim of this dissertation was to develop and validate a novel Epistemic Competence Beliefs Measure (ECBM) in order to explore students' ability to evaluate the characteristics of scenarios about complex and controversial social issues. Epistemic competence was hypothesized to be critical in performing multiple source use (MSU) tasks and in the…

We report findings from a longitudinal study of students' beliefs about empirical arguments and mathematical proof. We consider the influence of an 'Introduction to Proof (ITP)' course and the consequences of the observed changes in behaviour. Consistent with recent literature, our findings suggest that a majority of the thirty-eight undergraduate…

Students are often encouraged to learn 'deeply' by abstracting generalizable principles from course content rather than memorizing details. So widespread is this perspective that Likert-style inventories are now routinely administered to students to quantify how much a given course or curriculum evokes deep learning. The predictive validity of…

This study examined whether the five scales of the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation Inventory produced valid scores when used in university English language courses across four different countries. We surveyed 1,147 students in English language courses in Iran, Mexico, China, and Egypt and analyzed their responses by performing measurement…

The learning environment (LE) includes social interactions, organizational culture, structures, and physical and virtual spaces that influence the learning experiences of students. Despite numerous studies exploring the perception of healthcare professional students (HCPS) of their LE, the validity evidence of the utilized questionnaires remains…

Current growth mindset models lack the specificity regarding behavioral mechanisms that translate incremental beliefs into meaningful achievement gains. Addressing this gap, this study synthesized the literature to conceptualize the Integrated Growth Systems Framework (IGSF) and developed the Growth Practices Scale (GPS). The IGSF maps how a…

With the already widespread nature of multiple-choice assessments and the increasing popularity of answer-until-correct, it is important to have methods available for exploring the validity of these types of assessments as they are developed. This work analyzes a 20-question multiple choice assessment covering introductory undergraduate chemistry…

Background: Professor-student rapport is associated with various important student success outcomes, highlighting the need for a good measure of this construct. Objective: The current study attempted to replicate the components of the Professor-Student Rapport Scale (PSRS) reported in Wilson and Ryan (2013). Method: 760 undergraduate students…

Museums operate and communicate ethically, professionally, and with the participation of their constituents, offering varied experiences for edutaintment and knowledge sharing. Today's museums ensure relevance in national and universal development by considering, first and foremost, educational functions. Museums work in harmony with people in…

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores have been widely used as the language entry requirements for international students in many English-medium universities. However, research on the predictive validity of IELTS on subsequent academic performance has been inconclusive. Additionally, despite the proliferation of IELTS…

In this research we attempt to empirically validate a model - using signalling theory - that explains important antecedents and consequences of students' attitude towards internationally accredited business schools. Using a quasi-experimental design, we collected data from undergraduate students of eight countries across four scenarios. The…

Undergraduate students are expected to produce and comprehend constructive existence proofs; yet, these proofs are notoriously difficult for students. This study investigates students' thinking about these proofs by asking students to validate two arguments for the existence of a mathematical object. The first argument featured a common structural…

The present study contributes to the field of L2 motivation by exploring the link between emotional experience in language learning and motivational self from a multilingual perspective. Specifically, it evaluated the empirical support for the validity of the ideal multilingual self on simultaneous language learners in China and assessed the…

Evolution is a key feature of undergraduate biology education: the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has identified evolution as one of the five core concepts of biology, and it is relevant to a wide array of biology-related careers. If biology instructors want students to use evolution to address scientific challenges…