This article explores the normative representations of higher education students in seven films and television series from four European countries. Drawing on the concept of the 'independent learner' as an 'ideal construction', I demonstrate how these texts offer complex and at times paradoxical representations of who gets positioned as the…

Both personalization and utility value (UV) interventions have emerged in educational psychology as ways to increase students' interest in learning an academic subject, and potentially improve learning outcomes. However, empirical results for each approach have been mixed and these approaches have worked differently for different groups of…

The motivation of linguistically diverse young adults to learn Korean as a Foreign Language (KFL) was studied at a university on the US-Mexico border. This diglossic setting permitted a complex investigation of multiple elements, including L2-motivation theoretical attributes, exposure to Korean contemporary pop culture, and the linguistic and…

Along with the rapid development of Chinese modern design since the 1980s, modern design education has grown in China. Many studies have already been conducted to examine the key aspects of this historical phenomenon, e.g., heroic figures and well-known institutes. This article, however, investigates the anonymous activities of modern design…

The purpose of this study was to investigate ensemble members' perceptions of their studio orchestra experiences. Survey data were collected from participants (N = 50) enrolled in a studio orchestra at a major collegiate institution in the Southeastern United States. A studio orchestra is a group of musicians who collaborate, compose, arrange,…

In times of the rise of the "A4 waist" trend on social networks (SNs), concerns have been raised over appearance-related content's adverse effects on body image and well-being in parasocial relationships. We conducted a survey on Chinese college students (N = 333) to examine the effects of comparison targets (same-gender acquaintances,…

This article discusses findings from an ongoing qualitative studies about the incorporation of popular culture in university-based professional education. The focus is on how popular culture can become a curricular resource to support learning about theory or concepts and contentious or sensitive issues, at a time when neoliberal trends of…

Black males in higher education continue to face persistent challenges due to overt and covert racism, hindering their progress towards graduation, particularly within Historically White Institutions (HWIs). This study examines the factors contributing to the invisibility and barriers faced by Black males, including engagement, academic…

This research investigated the impact popular novels have on knowledge about and attitudes towards Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), compared to that of traditional college textbooks. Study 1 found that participants in the novel condition chose fewer correct and fewer incorrect responses to questions about ASD. Participants did not differ in their…

The psychological aspects of the properties and relationships that emerge during text comprehension have primarily been studied from both subjective and objective viewpoints. This paper aims to explore the psychological factors influencing scientific text comprehension, focusing on the quantitative and qualitative patterns of how students perceive…

The aim of this paper is to determine both the influence of musical compositions' genres on the students' musical literacy formed using artificial intelligence technologies and the musical literacy skills among music and non-music major students. Accordingly, the method of analysis was used to identify the most common musical genres in the Chinese…

With the growing importance of the United Nations' SDGs, many EFL textbooks addressing the goals have been developed. However, these textbooks generally discuss the applicability of the SDGs in Global South countries, and for university students in Japan, this has resulted in "SDG burnout," as they study the topic but often fail to find…