In this study, the Research Methods Sequence (RMS) courses in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at California Baptist University were evaluated. There were two central aims in the study. First, the effectiveness of the RMS courses in developing students' research skills and perceptions of the research process were assessed. Second, the…

The benefits of undergraduate research experiences are well documented, yet few studies focus on programs designed to support students conducting research in the fields of humanities, arts, and social sciences. In this study, the authors examine learning experiences of students participating in the undergraduate research programs (URP) at UCLA,…

Librarians were concerned that transfer students' information literacy skills lagged those of their peers because transfers did not receive the library instruction that other students got in first-year classes. The investigators conducted semi-structured interviews with transfer students to answer two research questions: (1) How do transfer…

An opportunity exists to attract students from historically underrepresented communities into the geosciences, the least diverse of the STEM fields. Home to a diverse population, Riverside County in Southern California supports several community colleges with thriving geoscience programs where students can take a range of geology courses in…

In this study, we assessed instructor and student attitudes and knowledge toward research methods (RM). Instructors (N = 62) answered questions about course format, topic importance, and resources. Students (N = 166) of some of those instructors answered questions regarding attitudes toward research. Five major factors organize topics that…

How can we merge the science of politics and the practice of politics into a single course? In a 16-week, upper division course on state politics, I address the need to develop students' social scientific skills and practical skills through journal article analysis (JAA) teams and public policy project (PPP) teams. I use a within-subjects, pretest…

Focus group interviewing is widely used by academic and applied researchers. Given the popularity and strengths of this method, it is surprising how rarely focus group interviewing is taught in the undergraduate classroom and how few resources exist to support instructors who wish to train students to use this technique. This article fills the gap…

Traditionally, graduate study includes a research component, requiring library skills to locate relevant literature. Upon matriculation into graduate programs, many students are underprepared in library research skills, making library instruction a priority for the success of graduate students. This qualitative study, utilizing emergent design,…

For the past two years, the Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment and Teaching Excellence at the University of California, San Diego, has designed and run Student-Created Research projects in eight racially diverse urban and low-income San Diego high schools. Students undertake research projects intended to guide school improvement…

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore another way to boost degree completion and transfer rates through helping students develop informed decision-making power; specifically, counseling methods in Los Angeles Community Colleges using the Relationship-Based model was examined. As part of this study, students would develop their research…

Inquiry-based laboratories are acknowledged as the preferred method of instruction for development of research skills. Much has been written about changes in student performance associated with inquiry, but less is known about how students view the inquiry-based format or whether they perceive a benefit from this type of instruction. The Student…

The "ISSS Annual Conference Proceedings" is a peer-reviewed professional publication published once a year following the annual conference. (Individual papers contain references.) [For the 2009 proceedings, see ED504973.]