This article describes research the authors undertook on why low income high school students invest in summer learning. They engaged participants in a community-based summer learning program to examine the factors that first attracted and then sustained their participation. They found that the elements that attracted students to the program were…

Students' academic underachievement, defined as discrepancies between ability and academic performance, is a widespread problem leading to many negative consequences. Our study examines high school students' math underachievement, its motivational antecedents, and its impact on future math achievement, college attendance, and STEM (science,…

The present study investigated to what degree teachers' personality traits, cognitive abilities, and academic abilities (high school GPA), which were assessed at the end of high school as well as grades from the first and second state examinations of teacher education, predict later instructional quality. The study combined ratings of…

This practical resource explains brain development from prenatal to age 8 with suggestions for activities educators and caregivers can use to foster children's cognitive growth. The authors begin with the basics of brain development, and the issues that affect it, and then provide information specific to infant, toddler, preschool, and…

This article explores the notion that asking and exploring so-called "big questions" could potentially increase the diversity and number of students who aspire to work in science and science-related careers. The focus is the premise that girls are more interested than boys in the relationships between science and other disciplines. The…

The influence of emotionality and conscientiousness, the personality traits, on academic performance were examined on students of higher education using the perspectives of conservation of resources theory and social cognitive theory. Skinner's coping model was utilized to understand coping mechanisms in the context of engineering education.…

The field of gifted and talented studies has its origins in the intelligence quotient research of the late 19th and early 20th century. These psychological foundations remain a strong influence even though the field has since expanded to include other paradigms and greater diversity in conceptions of giftedness and talent. Some researchers argue…

To prepare high school graduates with visual impairments for college, staff members at Perkins School for the Blind developed a nine month residential program, College Success@Perkins. This article describes components of the program design and provides data on eight students who successfully completed the program in the first cohort. It concludes…

This study examined the personal characteristics and counseling needs of high school seniors who were strongly committed to attending a 4-year university. The results of this comparison study revealed that prospective first-generation college students reported lower perceived academic ability and a higher need for counseling in academic planning…

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an important public health problem. It refers to a developmental disability and can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. According to the previous studies there is no precisely treatment for individuals with ASD. However, they can be improved and can be taught important skills such…

The present study investigated the links between self-motivational beliefs, perceived scholastic competence, self-esteem and learning strategies among 134 Greek junior high school students in the subject of Greek language, through self-report. A model was tested with motivational constructs as mediators between perceived scholastic competence and…

The Research Skill Development (RSD) framework was devised in 2006 to articulate what educators do when they facilitate student learning through active exploration in ways that enable their skills to grow in sophistication and rigour. This special issue of JUTLP comprises eight articles that focus on the critique, adaptation and application of the…

Extracurricular activities represent a key setting for prevention and promoting positive youth development. However, to date, a crucial aspect of activity participation--activity breadth (participation in a variety of extracurricular settings)--has been largely overlooked as a resource for bolstering adolescents' long-term adjustment, especially…

An increasing number of college students are coming forward to speak out against school violence, and there is increased attention placed on helping students seeking support if an incident occurs and exercising their right to speak out against those who perpetuate such behaviors. The skill of self-advocacy is not only useful for supporting changes…

Because of developmental constraints on the types of assessment that can be used with young children, teachers' judgments of students' skills and abilities are a particularly important source of information in early education. The present study investigates the accuracy of these judgments by examining agreement between Prekindergarten teachers'…