In 2022, Maryland implemented a new initiative focused on removing degree requirements from state positions. This initiative opened over 19,000 jobs to more than 1.3 million individuals Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs)--such as community college, workforce training, or on-the-job experience--rather than through a bachelor's degree in the…

Building upon the work of Cooney (2021) and Finch (2016), this quantitative study sought to explore if there was a correlation between kindergarten through fifth-grade general education teachers' perceived level of social-emotional competence (SEC) and their implementation of social-emotional learning (SEL) through instructional practice within…

Who should evaluate the originality and task-appropriateness of a given idea has been a perennial debate among psychologists of creativity. Here, we argue that the most relevant evaluator of a given idea depends crucially on the level of expertise of the person who generated it. To build this argument, we draw on two complimentary theoretical…

Much of the research on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students' motivation measures the relationship between student motivation and academic outcomes, focusing on the student's mindset. Our mixed-methods research takes a different approach and considers the relationship between student motivation and instructional…

Laboratory practicals in life science subjects are traditionally assessed by written reports that reflect disciplinary norms for documenting experimental activities. However, the exclusive application of this assessment has the potential to engage only a narrow range of competencies. In this study, we explored how multiple modes of laboratory…

Project-based learning (PBL) empowers students to become active learners. In this work computational reverse osmosis (RO) projects developed from industrial case studies and research were implemented in several chemical engineering courses to enhance student learning experience. Students not only gained knowledge in water treatment, but also…

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented educational disruption in institutions throughout the United States and the world. Research shows that such disruptions have a disproportionately negative impact on ethnic minorities. Researchers at a federally designated Minority- and Hispanic-serving four-year university deployed the Achievement…

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted students' motivation for learning. As students return to schools in the post-pandemic era, their motivation for learning continues to deteriorate due to challenges in adapting to the new educational norms. This study aimed to enhance the motivation of secondary school students towards learning…

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceptions of global health educators and their students on the use of critical reflective journaling as a pedagogical tool to promote cultural humility in learners. Rooted in critical qualitative research methodology, this study is framed by transformative learning theory, conceptual understandings…

While play-based learning is important for a high quality early education, only when teachers are confident and competent in enacting play-based learning in their everyday practice are expected benefits of play-based learning for whole-child development realized. A sample of 592 early childhood educators who assumed different job titles in Hong…

Machine learning (ML) methods are among the most promising technologies with wide-ranging research opportunities, particularly in the field of education, where they can be used to enhance student learning outcomes. This study explores the potential of machine learning algorithms to build and train models using log data from the "3D…

This report provides an example implementation of a "virtual gaming simulation" (VGS) in counseling seminars in teacher education as a tool for learning psychological conversation skills. The theory-practice seminar "Counseling language learners" in a blended learning environment includes the teaching of counseling…

Speaking with an artificial counterpart in simulated environments has been shown beneficial for foreign language learning. Still, few studies have explored how it is experienced by younger students. We report on a study of Swedish students (N = 22) speaking English with embodied conversational agents (ECAs) in everyday-life scenarios. Data were…

Purpose: This study aims to examine the underlying process through which learning organization culture positively influences knowledge sharing. It specifically explored the mediating role of social capital, underscoring its critical impact on enhancing both knowledge sharing and fostering learning organization culture. Design/methodology/approach:…

Self-determination has been a primary focus of efforts to enhance quality of life for individuals with disabilities. Learning self-determination enables individuals to assume greater responsibility and control in their lives. The primary causal agency perspective on self-determination highlights the importance of learning self-determination for…