This study addressed low graduation rates at Midwest Community College (MCC; a pseudonym) and explored factors affecting student success. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to delve into nontraditional students' perceptions of the influence of compressed courses and the effect the courses had on their academic success at MCC. Over the…

Background: According to Dweck's mindset theory, implicit beliefs (a.k.a. mindset) have an organizing function, bringing together mindset, achievement goals and effort beliefs in a broader meaning system. Two commonly described meaning systems are a growth-mindset meaning system with mastery goals and positive effort beliefs, and a fixed-mindset…

The contradictions of human development nowadays are related to the educational environment, which is characterized by changes induced by globalization and modern technologies; therefore, the activation of the potential of personality is becoming increasingly important, which is impossible without the training of purposeful and motivated teachers…

The multifaceted nature of peer social status entails personal benefits and potential detrimental effects that are particularly relevant to adolescents, as they place a higher emphasis on popularity and being well-liked compared to other stages of development. The study examined adolescents' motivational constructs related to gaining or changing…

In this paper, we explored how political knowledge related to generalised prejudice, defined as the common variance of three highly correlated specific prejudice concerning ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation. We aligned our hypotheses with the Cognitive Ability and Style to Evaluation (CASE) model, which postulates the mechanism underlying…

Improving the rate at which individuals enter STEM careers remains a national concern, and there is a critical need for additional research examining the impact of career development programs for undergraduate STEM majors. Most career development studies are grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), which states that students progressing…

Background: Previous research has indicated that placing emphasis on communal goals within the field of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education can yield beneficial learning outcomes. However, there remains a relative dearth of investigation into the factors that contribute to the success of STEM education programs…

Research suggests that school climate is a critical component in a student's sense of safety within a school and is the foundation for student-staff relationships. Despite this recognition, school staff demonstrate an insufficient intention to intervene on witnessed acts of gender- and sexuality-based inequity and grapple with discerning what…

Medical students' feedback orientation (their attitudes about and preferences for feedback from preceptors) may change over the course of the third year of medical school and is likely influenced by identity-related factors. This study proposed that both how students view themselves personally (i.e., impostor syndrome) and how they view themselves…

A new online orientation course equips students with the tools and skills to thrive in online programs. It welcomes them to the university, introduces the learning management system, fosters peer connection, and locates essential resources. Additionally, it teaches valuable strategies for time management, motivation, and success in online…

We employed a mixed methods research design using survey data to examine gifted students' perceptions of implicit theories of intelligence, giftedness, need for cognition, and goal orientations. Eighty-one gifted middle-school students completed the Mindset Assessment Profile (MAP) plus open-ended questions concerning giftedness, expectations,…

Despite their aim to foster belongingness, a small percentage of incoming college students (1%-2%) report feeling excluded (not belonging) during their outdoor orientation program. Feelings of exclusion are often highly consequential to a person transitioning to college. This study explores the experiences of students reporting low levels of…

The present study investigated achievement goal profiles and their antecedents and consequences among a sample of 823 Chinese secondary students in the reading domain. Based on a trichotomous achievement goal construct, latent profile analyses revealed five goal profiles: All-low (5%), All-moderate (26%), Mastery-oriented (10%), Approach-oriented…

This phenomenological study explored current perceptions of the personal safety of gender and sexual minority (GSM) college students in college campus settings through the application of queer theory. By collecting the personal experiences, perspectives, and feelings of GSM college students, the study identified coherent themes and suggested…

The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed methods study was to explore HIV risk perception, the meaning of HIV testing, and HIV risk behavior among college students following a negative HIV test. An extended version of the theoretical framework of the health belief model (HBM) aided in the exploration of college students' perceptions of…