This qualitative study explored English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) Eastern European nursing graduates' socialization to the United States, their development and academic experience as nursing students, and their perspectives as practicing nurses. Through their revealing testimonials, the participants exposed their positive and negative…

Formal mentoring programmes continue to gain popularity in higher education, mirroring trends in industry. The study described in this article examines the design features of a formal mentoring programme for first year undergraduates and focused on three key aspects--the matching process, training and orientation, and interaction frequency. The…

This phenomenological study sought to understand how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) college students described their high school experiences and their later transitions to college. The study data revealed five findings: (a) enduring unsupportive/hostile educational environments, (b) experiencing a lack of family and social…

The Chinese undergraduate student population currently represents 12.8% of all international students enrolled in the United States (Institute for International Education, 2015a). In an effort to understand the experiences of this population in their first year of college in the United States, a phenomenological study was conducted using a…

Unfortunately, the journey to college can be lengthy for immigrants who must demonstrate English proficiency by completing a series of ESL classes while balancing work, family, and school (Blumenthal, 2002). At Southeast Community College (SCC), in Lincoln, Nebraska, the sequence ranges from classes in Beginning ESL to ESL for Academic Success,…

The purpose of this study is to explore what types of student services are useful in helping international students make a smooth transition to American college experience. Four members from an international student office at a particular four-year university in the U.S. were interviewed to discuss variables in student support services. The…

Engineering technology learners are understudied group that comprise the "T" of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Attrition from engineering technology majors is a profound and complex challenge, as substantially less than half of students who begin an engineering technology major persist through the…

Drawing on the data from interviews with 32 international students, this qualitative study applies Weick's framework of organizational sensemaking to the analysis of international graduate students' socialization in the academic and student communities in a large US university. Methodologically, the analysis relies on a semiotic chain…

Humans, as social creatures, look to others for affiliation, support, and guidance while also having the capacity to offer something of value to someone in need (understanding, compassion, reassurance, hope, etc.). While offering such support can be easy, almost innate, for some and less natural for others, basic helping skills can be learned and…

The transition to higher education can be problematic for some students as they adapt to institutional procedures and degree level working at the same time as developing new social networks. To help facilitate these complex transitions institutions are increasingly turning towards digital technologies to provide both flexible access to resources…

This article connects the theoretical perspective of Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed with the teaching and learning styles of teachers and students at Central Park East Secondary School (CPESS) in East Harlem, New York. It examines some of the ways the Freireian model has worked within the public school system and considers some of the…

In this article, the author describes the "Learning Disposition Questionnaire" (LDQ) a tool designed to address more of the "integrity and identity" of college students as learners. Rather than using students' documented skills as a lens by which to assume or interpret learning dispositions, a direct way to evaluate and assess…

The number of international students attending U.S. higher learning institutions has decreased over the past decade (excluding students from China and Saudi Arabia) from 40 percent to 30 percent. These students are an important resource for the U.S. and their native countries in terms of education, culture, and economy. Differences between…

A single qualitative case study design was used to determine the opinions of administrators and faculty from a community college that is considered to be transitioning to a learning-centered college. The researcher conducted the case study to describe, explain, and evaluate the phenomenon. The researcher also recorded facilitators or roadblocks…

This article focuses on the English language experiences of a group of pre-sessional students, an under-represented group in the literature on language and education. In particular, it investigates the opportunities that such students have to use English outside the classroom, shown to be a key factor in student satisfaction with their study…