Multicultural education can be defined as an educational process that promotes an understanding and appreciation of the cultural diversity within a pluralistic society. By the year 2000, the number of minorities in the United States will increase dramatically. To respond appropriately and effectively to these emerging demographics, educational…

A study was conducted of African American students at Contra Costa College (CCC), in California, enrolled through the Extended Opportunity Program and Services component, to examine differences between academic persisters and non-persisters. A questionnaire was used to gather information about students' pre-matriculation characteristics and…

Positive relationships between student study behaviors and academic achievement were examined in this extension of a large-scale Far West Laboratory project. Participants were 196 college students drawn from 28 sections of an introductory psychology course over a 4-semester period, involving 12 instructors. Subjects' activities and allocation of…

Understanding how they learn best is important for beginning and returning college students. This self-awareness can assist students in developing their classroom learning, study skills, and instructional habits throughout their college careers. For this reason, a quick, inexpensive learning style inventory appropriate for college populations was…

To gather information on the importance of current educational-technology innovations for students in the IBM Teacher Preparation Program (an integrated Bachelor's and Master's program) at the University of Connecticut's School of Education, a survey was sent to all students enrolled in the program in April 1993. Responses were received from 115…

This study examined how three dimensions of college students' experiences affect critical thinking skills: (1) curricular exposure, (2) formal classroom and instructional experiences, and (3) out-of-class experiences. The study used a 1-year, longitudinal, panel study design using data collected as part of a pilot study for a national,…

A study was conducted to determine the economic impact of Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) on its service area for fiscal year 1992-93. Three models of economic impact were used in the study: the "short cut" method (SCM) calculating impact based on data on college, employee, and student expenditures in the service region; the…

This study used a case study approach to examine how 30 Pennsylvania State University students used out-of-class experiences while studying abroad to enhance their learning. Students, who spent a semester or academic year abroad during the 1990-91 school year, were interviewed about their experiences. Three basic categories of learning activity…

In an attempt to measure student satisfaction with the various components of matriculation (i.e., admissions and registration, orientation and advisement, assessment, and counseling), Golden West College (GWC) in Huntington Beach, California, administered a Matriculation Services Survey to a representative sample of 853 students in fall 1993.…

In October 1992, the Disabled Student Programs and Services and Student Placement Offices of Palomar College initiated a partnership program with existing service agencies and employers to enable individuals with disabilities to enter the employment mainstream and to establish a safety-net support system within the work environment. The program…

Two studies in Scotland used similar questionnaires to examine relationships between approaches to studying and students' preferences for different types of learning environments. The first study also examined the relationship with students' evaluations of their courses, while the second included reasons for choosing that course (educational…

An approach to educational research that is receiving renewed attention is participatory action research (PAR), which emphasizes a bottom-up approach to research as well as useful outcomes. PAR is a philosophy, and not a methodology per se. It is a deliberate, goal-directed, structured, and applied means of obtaining information that looks to…

A study investigated politeness indicators in the speech of three groups of university students: 37 native Spanish speakers, in Spain; 34 American students; and 33 native Spanish-speakers learning English as a Second Language (ESL) in Spain. Subjects responded to a questionnaire that outlined 24 situations combining 2 contextual variables: 2…

This study investigated how Korean adult learners of English at various levels of proficiency interpret English reflexives. The subjects consisted of 15 ninth-graders with 2.5 years of English instruction, 15 eleventh-graders with 4.5 years of instruction, 15 first-year college students with 6.5 years of instruction, and 15 graduate students who…

This testimony discusses the role that individual student grants play in reducing the dropout rate of minority college students, and presents the results of research on the effects of grants and loans on college attendance. Conclusions are based on the High School and Beyond longitudinal study, which followed representative 1980 high school…