This article presents our findings concerning a MOOC named 'Introduction to R programming language', in which we applied design thinking combined with problem-based learning to enhance student engagement and improve the learning experience. The course was delivered to 575 students from Brazil between February 28 and March 18, 2022. Our goal was to…

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of persistence within STEM learning environments as a function of cumulative stress and latent trauma. The biopsychosocial impact of prolonged stressors due to hostile environments and academic demands has deleterious health effects on historically underrepresented students who enter STEM…

This qualitative single case study explored the lived experience of a first-generation Latino college student in a four-year higher education setting, who despite obstacles, persisted in college. The study revealed the need for a supportive system, both in and out of school, with an understanding and respect for the culture. Moreover, the findings…

The spread of English as a global language has contributed to the trend of recruiting native English-speaking teachers (NESTs) through government-funded schemes around the world, particularly in East Asia. In Taiwan, the NEST scheme has been recently expanded because of the national policy for a bilingual Taiwan in 2030. However, the NEST scheme…

Purpose: Although a student's sense of belonging is a key factor of persistence in higher education, research on international students' belonging tends to rely on domain-agnostic survey measures and promote interpretations that focus mainly on social integration and adjustment. This paper aims to examine how male international graduate students…

Recognizing the pressing problem of low teacher retention in urban schools, this qualitative study explores how two post-baccalaureate teacher education programs at the same university prepare candidates to persist in the profession. Through data analysis, it became clear that graduates of the Urban Teacher Residency program approached their…

This study aims to explore non-English speaking major students' perceptions of Motivation and Grit and the relationship between these two factors and students' English language performance at a public university in China. The research was conducted by quantitative research design to collect 624 non-English speaking Major students' answers to…

Although it is well established that college entrance exams have become a key factor for admission to selective institutions, less is known about the influence of test scores in relation to other academic factors in the evaluation of a student's application file. This study conducts a randomized-controlled trial to determine whether providing…

Purpose: Grit is a novel, rather an important psychological variable that has been associated with performance in the English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) context. However, there is a dearth of research on the relationship of grit and pronunciation performance among EFL learners. Consequently, the current study sought to establish the…

Based on the guidelines of the Social Cognitive Career Theory, the purpose of this study is to understand the motivations and reasons why foreign language university instructors decide to stay in Korea for their life-long career development. This research was guided by one research question, why would foreign university instructors decide to stay…

Students in graduate education have a desire to hold a degree because of contributions of graduate education such as opportunity to become faculty member, professional development, and promotion. Despite these benefits of graduate education, there are students who do not persist on gaining a graduate degree. This study aims to develop and test a…

The specific needs of rural schools and communities have received limited attention from state policy makers, and many state programs have only added to the challenges that school districts in rural areas face. Michigan State University researchers surveyed and interviewed rural superintendents in Michigan to learn more about their situations.…

Undocumented children immigrants in the United States experience significant hurdles pursuing higher education due to their illegal status, resulting in lower rates of college attendance for children arriving before the age of 14 than U.S. born children. The 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program aims, in part, to remove these…

Standard assessments of cognitive ability have been the preferred method of assessing the probability of student achievement at community colleges, but there is a growing trend in the use of noncognitive factors to assess student potential. Factors related to a student's race/ethnicity and family income have been shown to be correlated with…

Student services play an essential role in higher education, not only by reducing student dropout rates but also by increasing student retention. This study explored the role of student services in promoting student retention which in turn addresses the problem of college student attrition at a private, non-profit Ugandan university. The purpose…