This dissertation evaluated the efficacy and effectiveness of a first-year freshman seminar course designed to improve self-regulated learning skills and bolster academic success. First-year seminars (FYS) are designed to help at-risk students (as indexed by their admissions criteria) gain the learning and motivational skills they need to succeed…

The objective of this research is to describe the implementation of project-based learning (PJBL) in improving computer programming competency in a higher education setting. The method applied in this study is action research with a one-cycle framework with four phases of development: (a) planning, (b) action, (c) observing, and (d) reflection…

This study investigated the association between psychological stamina (grit, mindset and hardiness) and thinking style preferences among South African university students. Data were collected from 369 first-year university students using measures of grit, mindset, hardiness and thinking style preferences. The results indicated that different…

In this study, a micro-level approach was used to investigate how college students in an academic writing course interact with peer and instructor feedback at "different stages" of the writing process. Participants were 146 first-year students at a Singaporean university. A survey and focus group interviews concerning students'…

Undergraduate first-year courses are often mandatory for students in a variety of majors and degrees. Many students view these core courses as of little interest and relevance, which is associated with lack of motivation for study and can lead to cheating. Contract cheating in text-based is difficult to detect and prove. Contract cheating in…

In introductory computer programming courses, students experience a range of emotions. Students often experience anxiety and frustration when they encounter difficulties in writing programs. Continued frustration can discourage students from pursuing engineering and computing careers. Although prior research has shown how emotions affect students'…

The PSS10 has been used widely and is helpful to identify at-risk individuals for clinical mental illness such that timely early intervention can be provided. Directions for applying PSS10 with college freshmen and transfer students are suggested noting several non-negligible psychometric concerns including gender bias and violation of ordinality…

In order to investigate faculties' barriers to mentoring freshmen within an interinstitutional (and possibly reluctant) context, a questionnaire survey (N = 390), based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, was conducted prior to the inception of a wide mentoring program involving nine Belgian higher education institutions. Stepwise multiple…

Research indicates higher feelings of self-determination promote increased student achievement. As a result, self-determination theory (SDT) may provide a unique lens to view first-year college student motivation and achievement outcomes. Results included strong positive correlations between perceived self-determination and satisfaction with life…

This study is an exploratory comparison of 69 Hispanic students enrolled in first-semester general chemistry (Chem I) who attended either a Hispanic-Serving or emerging Hispanic-Serving Institution and were not successful in Chem I. Students' automaticity skills (what can be done without the aid of a calculator) in arithmetic and quantitative…

With limited budgets and increasing enrollment demands, colleges need fast, free, and practical solutions supporting academic success and retention. The Academic Reality Check (ARC) tool helps to predict traditional freshmen awareness of their own academic expectations in college quickly, supporting the financial investment being made by all…

Belonging is critical to first-year student success and persistence in higher education. However, differing definitions make it challenging to fully understand why belonging is significant. Foregrounding student voice, this research explored how first-year Australian university students talked about their belonging. Using Kahu and Nelson's (2018)…

Background: This study investigated the scoring and criterion-related validity of the TEAP, a newly developed Test of English for Academic Purposes. In this study, scoring validity was examined by investigating the factor structure, while criterion-related validity was examined by first investigating the longitudinal change of test takers'…

The use of a Practice set (case simulation) as an assessment task in management accounting is aimed at providing students with a practical experience in the application of a form of simulated real-world events. The pedagogical justification for the use of a case simulation is inherent in the concept referred to as "learn-by-doing"…

Undergraduate STEM retention has been a longstanding concern. Specifically, majors such as engineering have experienced a high dropout rate consistently in the past several decades. This study is aimed at understanding factors contributing to making the engineering major challenging, and individual factors that help first-year engineering students…