This paper proposes a model for graduate student success and reports the results of a study of factors affecting the success of 40 first-year graduate students. Based on a review of the literature, a four-element model for graduate success was devised that focused on: (1) immersion in research activities; (2) academic regimen and planning; (3)…

This document discusses the objectives, advantages, and disadvantages of internships provided by colleges and universities to their students. The advantages of internships are listed as: (1) enhancement of student goals of career development; (2) promotion of favorable public relations for colleges; (3) provision of valuable services to alumni and…

Cognitive style is an important variable that can affect the educational process in several ways. This study, a continuation of previous research, considers two learning styles--field dependent (FD) and field independent (FI). FD learners are attuned to social interaction; they favor structure, teacher direction, and feedback; and they benefit…

This study explores the background of minority teacher education candidates; their experience in teacher education courses and how the program met student goals and expectations; cultural conflicts they experienced in participating in teacher education; and the mentoring and support systems that the participants used or needed. Interviews held…

This guide provides information about the nature of learning disabilities in higher education and about ways of assisting students with learning disabilities at Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) to fulfill their potential. The booklet uses the metaphor of a "zig zag lightning in the brain" to describe the erratic thinking style…

This study investigated the appropriateness of Item Response Theory (IRT) models to analyze language test data. In a university second language institute, results of typical versions of tests of French as a Second Language (n=831 examinees) and of English as a Second Language (n=617 examinees) were subjected to non-linear factor analysis in…

The paper provides an overview of research on Asian and Pacific American (APA) undergraduates at U.S. institutions, focusing on the origins, assumptions, and fallacies of the "model minority" image. In addition, it offers highlights from a recent campus survey that suggests that APA students perceive their university experience…

This report examines the characteristics and first-year behaviors of beginning postsecondary students entering public 2-year, public 4-year, and private, not-for-profit 4-year institutions of higher education, based on data derived from the 1995-96 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study. The report begins with an essay that describes the…

Students' experiences are important in shaping their subsequent practice of the teacher role, and teacher educators should look at the connections between life histories, beliefs about teaching, and classroom practice. Five undergraduate seniors and one graduate student (of various ethnic and racial groups) in preservice elementary education…

A study of the relationship between university-level second language development and previous language and other experience is described. The study, in its early stages at the time of writing, is being conducted at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and involves students of French, German, Italian, and Spanish. This report describes the subjects…

Black undergraduate students' educational characteristics, experiences, and outcomes at six predominantly white, State-supported universities were examined in this study. Data were collected from 695 undergraduates by means of questionnaires. Findings show that black students in the study came from high schools where blacks were in the majority,…

Factors influencing persistence/nonpersistence of Black and Hispanic doctoral students at the graduate entry level were studied, along with institutional practices that affect minority participation in graduate education. For the first part of the study, 63 persisting and nonpersisting doctoral students were interviewed regarding their experiences…

The social, cultural, and economic circumstances that have shaped the development of women's higher education are discussed. After considering colonial America when women were outsiders to liberal arts institutions, the creation of women's and co-educational colleges is traced and the process by which women of different ethnic, racial, religious,…

The Tennessee Self Concept Scale was used to study the effect of outdoor adventure activities on the self concept of university students. Related studies have found significant changes in self concept following survival training and Outward Bound experiences. The study population consisted of 99 students enrolled in 1 of 4 classes at Eastern…

The object of the investigation was to obtain data on a random sample of women attending West Texas State to evaluate the educational experience for women there. Specifically, the study was to provide:(l) a profile of women students; (2) personal and professional information about individuals; (3) students' judgments of their acquisition of…