This study explores the lived experiences of individualized and interdisciplinary students enrolled in a 4-year public university in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. Those enrolled in this individualized degree program are working adults with significant family, work, and life obligations. As Brookfield (2006), Knowles (1980), and…

"Safe spaces" denote areas where students show up as they are and express themselves without fear of being made uncomfortable because of their sex, cultural background, or other status. Many dismiss the importance of safe spaces for students by accusing the institution of becoming a "therapeutic institution" concerned with…

There are fewer doctoral degrees earned by women than men in many STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, and gender gaps in higher education pathways persist. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate and understand the experiences and persistence of women Ph.D. students in male-dominated STEM…

The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has administered the "Cultivate" Survey, a rigorously developed student voice survey that captures students' experiences of their learning conditions, twice annually (fall and spring) since the 2022-2023 academic year. "Cultivate" is grounded in extensive research on youth development, finding…

Whilst the fitness testing debate has become more nuanced over time, the voice that is often absent from discussions is that of students. Located within the 'big tent' of critical pedagogy, and using an expansive learning approach that is grounded in cultural historical activity theory, this paper responds to the following research questions: (i)…

This paper discusses a two-year study at an Australian university in which 154 undergraduate and 51 postgraduate students reflected on their experiences with flexible and personalised assessment where they could choose assessment tasks, submission dates and weightings of their assignments. Through pre- and post-course surveys and a focus group,…

In the United States, individuals who identify as Black are severely underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This underrepresentation begins as early as middle school due to the stereotype of successful STEM students being white and male thus affecting Black students sense of belonging in STEM. The…

A challenge persists in modern higher education regarding gaining an understanding of the activities and services that facilitate student support, student success, student community and student voice. As modern universities continue to grow in both size and complexity, gaining an understanding of the operations for enhancing and supporting both…

This quantitative predictive study investigated the intricate dynamics of the Imposter Phenomenon (IP) among online doctoral students, exploring its impact on Student Belongingness (SB) and Self-efficacy (SE). Findings revealed a significant negative association between higher IP scores and decreased SE, highlighting the imperative to address IP…

International doctoral students are an influential group in knowledge creation and cross-national engagement. Existing studies have mainly focused on this cohort's learning and research experiences in developed countries. However, relatively few studies have explored these students' experiences in non-traditional learning destinations. Drawing…

Purpose: Service-learning (SL) shows potential to respond to the global policy agenda of education for sustainable development (ESD) by increasing pro-sustainability competences through direct involvement of students in projects that satisfy identified community needs. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of studies that attempt to measure the impact…

This qualitative, multiple case study examined the factors that affect classroom experiences of trans* college students in the United States pursuing associate, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees. Participants included 19 students with a variety of trans* identities attending various institutions across the United States. I conducted…

Within the Caribbean, the number of students pursuing postgraduate studies in higher education institutions (HEIs) has increased over the years. Consequently, locally contextualised epistemologies and empowering methods are needed to help adult learners in Caribbean higher education (HE) navigate their studies. This paper presents findings from a…

'Simultaneous Learning' (SL) is a pedagogical approach aimed at fostering enjoyable and proactive music teaching. Developed by the British educationalist Paul Harris, SL has been taught worldwide for the past two decades but has not yet been investigated by a scholarly publication. We thus focused our research on the first usage of SL in the…

It may appear commonsensical that undergraduate dance majors, sharing a programmatic experience within a bounded space and time, might feel connected to others involved in that experience. However, the multi-faceted and dynamic considerations of who and what comprise this learning environment are often not holistically explored. To better identify…