Student engagement is a key factor in promoting learning and academic achievement. This study explores the factors underlying student engagement and the best practices advocated by students and faculty to engage students. Results revealed that student motivation to learn and self-efficacy are positively associated with student engagement. In…

This study investigated the change in preservice teachers' (PSTs) mathematics teaching self-efficacy through a mathematics methods course and revealed the best practices that helped the PSTs develop a higher self-efficacy and a growth mindset for teaching mathematics. We collected data through a scaled-response questionnaire to measure PSTs'…

Microcontrollers are widely used in agriculture, yet most undergraduate agriculture students do not have the programming skills necessary to make use of these devices in their academic programs or careers. However, generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, such as ChatGPT, have the ability to write complex microcontroller programs when…

Purpose: As maker-centered learning grows rapidly in school environments, there is an urgent need for new forms of assessment. The purpose of this paper is to report on the development and implementation of tools to support embedded assessment of maker competencies within school-based maker programs and describes alternative assessment approaches…

Critical thinking (CT) is widely recognized as an important component for effective instruction and learning. Numerous researchers have studied critical thinking and its impact on students and educational institutions at all levels (Pithers & Soden, 2000). Puig et al. (2019) acknowledged that very little research had been done to capture…

Given the importance of career discernment in emerging adulthood, we evaluated an understudied career development approach for higher education students. Specifically, we tested the relationship between spiritual discernment exercises and sense of purpose and calling through the indirect effects of self-concept clarity, career decision…

Background: Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) aim to support the unique needs of students in recovery, promote academic success, and facilitate psychosocial development (i.e. coping, self-efficacy, differentiation of self, self-acceptance, and quality of life). Strategies used to achieve these goals vary considerably based on the culture of the…

Undergraduate research methods courses help shape students' perceptions about research. Given the lack of diverse researchers in STEM fields, these perceptions are particularly important for underrepresented minorities. This study tested a social justice pedagogy intervention to determine the effects on various psychosocial constructs. Three…

Undergraduate research (UR) experiences continue to proliferate across all higher education settings. Yet community-based research (CBR) experiences account for a small percentage of UR opportunities. This paper describes the pilot study results of a summer program that is intentionally expanding the paradigm for UR at a public research university…

While multiple valid measures exist for assessing outcomes of environmental education (EE) programs, the field lacks a comprehensive and logistically feasible common instrument that can apply across diverse programs. We describe a participatory effort for identifying and developing crosscutting outcomes for Environmental Education in the…

As educational practitioners and policymakers expand the range of student outcomes they assess, student perception surveys--particularly those targeting social-emotional learning--have grown in popularity. Despite excitement around the potential for measuring a wider array of important student outcomes, concerns about the validity of the…

The fact that American Indian (AI) college students pursuing postsecondary educational opportunities have lower retention and completion rates than their peers is well documented. Additionally, the use of mentoring as a means of social support for AI students has been increasingly recognized as an important factor in a successful educational…

Why is hope such an important concept for schools to consider? Research has clearly demonstrated that more hopeful students perform better in school and in life than less hopeful students. Hopeful thought reflects the belief that one can find pathways to desired goals and become motivated to use those pathways. As a result, hope drives the…

States and jurisdictions are under increased pressure to demonstrate the use of evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for children's mental health, increasing the demand for a workforce trained in these practices. Universities are a critical pipeline for this workforce. This article describes the genesis and evolution of a university-based initiative…

Self-efficacy is the belief in one's capacity to perform and accomplish goals. Specifically, academic self-efficacy refers to a student's perception of their ability to engage and successfully complete academic tasks. Self-efficacy affects students' behavioral choices, motivation, thought patterns and responses, perception of control, and…