This study investigates the effects of socioeconomic status and schooling on the academic attainment of a cohort of students at a single medical school (N = 240). Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to explore how students' summative assessment scores over 4 years of medical school were affected by: attainment in secondary…

This paper studies the effects of guaranteed college admission on student effort and achievement. In 1997, Texas enacted the "Top Ten Percent" law, which guarantees admission to any public college for students in the top ten percent of their high school class. In practice, eligible students become aware of their admission status at the…

The impact of personality type on students' sense of classroom connectedness was examined in a study of university-level business courses that used Facebook to enhance classroom learning. The study was conducted using an independent measures static group comparison research design. Nearly 600 students registered in six different business courses…

Interactions are the central emphasis in language learning. An increasing number of K-12 students take courses online, leading some critics to comment that reduced opportunities for interaction may affect learning outcomes. This study examined the relationship between online interactions and learning outcomes for 466 students who were taking…

Individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are thought to encounter planning difficulties, but experimental research regarding the mastery of planning in ASD is inconsistent. By means of a meta-analysis of 50 planning studies with a combined sample size of 1755 individuals with and 1642 without ASD, we aim to determine whether planning…

Financial software offers an appealing substitute for an investment in complex financial knowledge to help individuals make better financial decisions. Little is known, however, about which consumers use financial software and whether the use of financial software results in improved financial outcomes. Using data from the 2008 National…

The purpose of this study was to explore factors that predict the persistence of international, non-immigrant students in higher education. A sample of international students from a four-year private university in Georgia served as the focused population for this study. Persistence research asserts that six factors predict persistence: academic…

Mentoring can change the course of our lives and, in graduate education, is defined as "a personal relationship in which a more experienced faculty member or professional acts as a guide, role model, teacher, and sponsor of a less experienced graduate student or junior professional" (Johnson, 2002, p. 88). It has been posited that this…

Built upon Control Value Theory, this dissertation consists of two studies that examine university students' future-oriented motivation, socio-emotional regulation, and diurnal cortisol patterns in understanding students' well-being in the academic-context. Study 1 examined the roles that Learning-related Hopelessness and Future Time Perspective…

There is increasing pressure on institutions of higher education to accurately measure student success. What was once thought of as a way to develop students holistically via a liberal arts degree, higher education is now often regarded as a means to an end: a well-paying job. Lost in the drive for quantifiable data is the holistic development of…

Latinas/os are the fastest-growing racial minority group in the United States, yet there is a lack of parity between their increased population and their participation rates in higher education. The economic strength and vitality of the nation require a college-educated workforce; therefore, the need to improve educational environments that…

Adult community college students, age 25 and older, have been understudied in the extensive college transfer literature, which otherwise focuses on traditional-age college students age 18 through 24, or on students of unspecified age. According to the theoretical framework of academic momentum articulated by Clifford Adelman (2006), enrollment…

This study examined factors that may affect the retention of first-time, full-time college freshmen to sophomore year. Institutions in the Appalachian College Association (ACA) were invited to participate, and nine of the 35 member schools provided data. The research questions were (1) Is there a relationship between retention for students'…

Limited information exists in the Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) field regarding teachers' intent to accept brain-based teaching (BBT). The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of motivational beliefs on secondary teachers' intent to accept BBT through the lens of Social Cognitive Theory and the Technology Acceptance Model. The…

The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate essential components of an arts-integration program that may contribute to improved student achievement in elementary reading at the school of study through a formative evaluation. Stufflebeam's CIPP model of program evaluation served as the conceptual framework for the study's findings. Creative…