This study examines the relationship between critical thinking and grades at the tertiary level, focusing on their social, political, and ethical implications. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this study combines survey data collection with in-depth interviews to generate comprehensive insights into the complex relationship between critical…

Research suggests that empathy and positive social values are important drivers of youth prosocial and civic action. However, theory and research indicate that young people's civic behaviors are also shaped by their socio-contextual experiences. Drawing on a sample of 533 adolescents from public secondary schools in the Republic of Ireland, this…

Many things can influence a student's success in a course. Previous research has shown that students are more successful when they complete the course reading, but students may not always comply with reading requirements for multiple reasons, such as other time pressures or financial costs. Issues with reading requirements may be compounded if an…

Food has multiple roles within individuals' lives, with the potential to bridge gaps between different groups and enhance belonging. This project sought to explore through food-related images submitted by staff and students, the themes and values identified, and explore whether taking part enhanced belonging at university. Data were collected…

Gender stereotypes in musical instrument selection have been studied for over 40 years. However, little research has been conducted on the importance of reducing the impact of factors that affect the stereotyping of musical instruments within the framework of sociology. Gender stereotypes of musical instruments emerge in early childhood and have…

Teaching is an important mechanism of social learning. In industrialized societies, 3-year-olds tend to teach through demonstrations and short commands, while 5-year-olds use more verbal communication and abstract explanations. However, it remains unclear whether this generalizes to other cultures. This study presents results from a peer teaching…

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) present enormous opportunity for potential learners, especially those in developing countries who may be lacking access to quality higher education. However, participation in MOOCs is still significantly low among those in developing countries, while those in developed countries are continually being…

Introduction: Somali American adolescent tobacco use has increased over the past decade amid a high prevalence of tobacco use among Somali American adults. While established adolescent tobacco use determinants may apply for Somali youth, a deeper understanding of these influences is imperative to the development of effective prevention strategies…

The dramatic decline of rural industries (such as coal mining, millwork, or farming) over the last several decades coupled with most jobs requiring some sort of postsecondary education in today's U. S. economy means postsecondary credential attainment has taken on increased importance for rural social mobility. College accessibility appears to be…

The purpose of this review was to synthesize the literature on attrition and retention in instrumental music and to identify strategies to encourage students' continued participation in school bands and orchestras. Retaining members from 1 year to the next is a key factor in building ensembles and helping individual musicians reach their full…

In an era where many states' postsecondary education governance dynamics are evolving, we set out to understand whether state-level governing boards with centralized governance functions affected institutions' decisions to engage in in-person instruction during the fall of 2020, the first fall of the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined sociopolitical…

Imposter phenomenon (IP) is characterized by an internal perception of one's intellectual fraudulence despite having objective and consistent accomplishments in a career. IP is prevalently observed among high-achieving, successful, and accomplished individuals, including students heading toward high-achieving careers. The current study explored…

Nearly half the world's people are bilingual, but many have no clear understanding of what--aside from being fluent in more than one language--bilingualism means. This lively introduction by linguist Penelope Gardner-Chloros covers everything a bilingual (or curious monolingual) individual might want to know. The book discusses how bilingualism…

This research explores the social-cultural factors influencing learners' preferences for Open and Distance Learning (ODL). Specific objectives were to investigate the social-cultural factors influencing learners' choice of ODL, and the role of higher education in promoting preference for ODL and to identify challenges facing ODL. Case study design…

Adolescents frequently face emotional and social challenges that make them particularly vulnerable to feelings of loneliness. This study aimed to determine the national prevalence of loneliness among Malaysian secondary school students and to identify the psychosocial and familial factors associated with it. A cross-sectional study was conducted…