Background: Research suggests growth mindset interventions can support student achievement, particularly among students at risk of academic struggle, but it remains underspecified which at-risk populations will benefit from such interventions. Objectives: This study aimed to experimentally evaluate whether highly (vs. moderately or minimally)…

The purpose of this study was to investigate undergraduate students' conceptions of Earth scientists, using drawing as a tool, during introductory Earth science courses. We explored two research questions: 1) What student conceptions are evident in undergraduate students' drawings of Earth scientists? and 2) How do undergraduate students'…

This paper offers an exploration of success mindsets and one example of how these may be used as an intervention to impact student success in both their personal and professional lives. Gottfredson's Success Mindsets concept is used as the intervention. These success mindsets combine four sets of mindsets associated with positive outcomes:…

Social group disparities persist in who chooses to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields in higher education. Goal congruity theory has highlighted how perceptions of other-oriented opportunities in STEM can spur interest among underrepresented students. The present work extends this framework by considering how…

This dissertation investigated the science identity development of first-generation college students (FGCS) within learning assistant (LA) -supported science classes. The research aimed to uncover the complex and multifaceted processes through which FGCS come to see themselves as "science people" and how various elements of the…

In light of the need to both grow and diversify graduate enrollments in computing fields, this quantitative study examined variables associated with students' initial aspirations for computing graduate school as well as how aspirations were sustained or developed over time. Using a longitudinal sample of undergraduate students who enrolled in…

Retention is a continuing concern for institutions of higher education, especially rural community colleges. Students are often not prepared for the rigor of college-level coursework, encounter academic and/or life obstacles, or do not possess the soft skills needed to succeed in college life. Research has shown that college-preparation courses…

This single case study investigated the implementation of a modularized mathematics course designed to eliminate the usage of remedial mathematics courses from post-secondary mathematics curricula. The literature review revealed that introductory college level mathematics success and student retention rates in post-secondary schools was…

Recommendations for enhancing scientific literacy, inclusivity, and the ecosystem for innovation call for transitioning from teacher-centered to learner-centered science classrooms, particularly at the introductory undergraduate level. Yet little is documented about the challenges that undergraduates perceive in such classrooms and the students'…

We teach English literature in South Africa, to third- or fourth-language English speakers. Increasingly dissatisfied with the effectiveness of our pedagogy under conditions of massification, we seek to agitate propositions about our students' reading and what these propositions means for our pedagogy. Drawing on narrative theory we analyse our…

Student self-perception is related to persistence in science. Yet how self-perception develops over time is less clear. We examined student self-perception trajectories and their relationship with gender, persons excluded due to ethnicity or race (PEER) status, and first-generation college student (FGCS) status across a yearlong introductory…

Online collaborative learning (OCL) has become a common instructional strategy in higher education for developing students' skills in collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Cognitive engagement in OCL evolves dynamically, but we do not yet fully understand which patterns of cognitive engagement are conducive to OCL and when to…

Synthesis is one of the most cognitively demanding practices novice writers must undertake, and research demonstrates that first-year students' synthesis writing practices result in more knowledge "telling" rather than knowledge creation and transforming. Pedagogies used to teach synthesis often focus on developing text-building…

Offered as a case study, this chapter shows how Lansing Community College intentionally combined efforts to redesign eight high-risk courses with efforts to create clearer guided curricular pathways for the college's students.

Identity production is a complex process in which a person determines who he or she is via internal dialogue and sociocultural participation. Understanding identity production is important in biology education, because students' identities impact classroom experiences and their willingness to persist in the discipline. Thus, we suggest that…