Positive youth development programs such as those offered by Boy Scouts of America (BSA) provide sources of support and opportunities for leadership and character development. Programmatic experts from BSA collaborated with researchers to develop a visual theory of change (pathway model) for youth development in Scouts BSA and for adult volunteer…

We extend decades of research on infants' visual processing by examining their eye gaze during viewing of natural scenes. We examined the eye movements of a racially diverse group of 4- to 12-month-old infants (N = 54; 27 boys; 24 infants were White and not Hispanic, 30 infants were African American, Asian American, mixed race and/or Hispanic) as…

Purpose is an indicator of healthy human development and believed by some theorists and educators to be an important outcome of college. The aim of this study was to test the potential for assessing purpose using a person-centered analysis, thereby providing more individual-specific understanding of students' purpose development, and second by…

Objective: The study aimed to understand how Latinx immigrant-origin community college students draw upon their funds of identity to persist and transfer. Methods: Utilizing a multimethodological qualitative approach, self-portraits and testimonios were collected from 20 Latinx immigrant-origin California community college students in spring 2022.…

To successfully navigate an uncertain world, one has to learn the relationship between cues (e.g., wind speed, atmospheric pressure) and outcomes (e.g., rain). When learning, it is possible to actively manipulate the cue values to test hypotheses about this relationship directly. Across two studies, we investigated how 5- to 7-year-olds actively…

Noncognitive constructs such as self-efficacy, social awareness, and academic engagement are widely acknowledged as critical components of human capital, but systematic data collection on such skills in school systems is complicated by conceptual ambiguities, measurement challenges and resource constraints. This study addresses this issue by…

We incorporated trauma-informed principles into the design of a synchronous, online Religion and Politics course and then evaluated impacts on student learning through qualitative methods. Using a novel approach, students self-evaluated their learning throughout the course in weekly reflections. Using content analysis and directed coding…

Youth purpose has important implications for behavior and well-being, yet there is limited information about the types of purpose that young people pursue. The current study contributes insight into the content of purpose through a survey of 316 adolescents and young adults. Analyses of responses revealed that young people rated their purposes as…

This case study describes the rationale, development, and functioning of the Elders Learning Community, a nonprofit home and community service program that served older adults in Richmond, California. The program applied a blend of self-directed learning, learner-centered and significant learning approaches, and features of a member-driven…

Many wonderful things can and should be written regarding the pleasures of mentorship. As an individual with experience as both a mentee and a mentor, I can attest to the joy that comes from a productive mentoring relationship. However, there is a reality that is discussed less frequently: Mentoring is hard work that can involve pain and…

In recent years, the increasing cost of higher education has introduced a new level of scrutiny toward colleges and universities, including the concern of prospective students and their families about the return on investment (ROI) of a college education. California's Pepperdine University wants its students to be transformed, inside and out, to…

Researchers have suggested that student group involvement during college is beneficial for students on various academic and psychosocial measures. Most research has not focused on how different student groups provide different environments and support that impact students' experience. This ethnography focuses on one Christian student organization…

Although educational research indicates that undergraduate student participation in research, fieldwork, and/or community engagement has great value, there remains a dearth of information on student outcomes from participation in these activities. Drawing on high-impact educational practices as the conceptual framework, this article examines…

The relationship between sense of general life purpose, perceived well-being, perceived life purpose barriers, and faculty mentoring guidance were examined among 1,609 college undergraduates. Participants completed an online survey that included the General Life Purpose Scale, the Perceived Wellness Survey, the Life Purpose Barriers Scale, and a…

Biomimetic leadership is a pioneering framework viewed through the ecological lens, in which every living system reveals practical applications and sustainable solutions to systemic challenges. Extended office hours and stressful environments have distanced administrators from nature-inspired activities and practices. This mixed methods study…