The instability resulting from major changes in recent decades has fostered a climate of uncertainty and risk that has had repercussions in terms of unemployment, social inequality, and precariousness. To cope with this phenomenon, especially in the context of career transitions, individuals have had to activate multiple psychological resources.…

The study aimed to analyze the influence of such factors, as cognitive engagement, learning strategies and social support on academic success and student satisfaction in online learning environments. Data were collected in a cross-sectional survey carried out in the Winter semester of 2023. Participants were 523 students recruited from…

Understanding the individual qualities sustaining students with and without specific learning disabilities (SLDs) is key to supporting their academic achievement and well-being. In this study, we investigated the differences between students with and without SLDs in terms of intraindividual factors (soft skills and study-related factors), academic…

In spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a rapid shift to distance learning worldwide. Although recent research has focused on the impact that this transition had on students' education and well-being, little has been done in particular on math education and on math anxiety (MA). Since MA is believed to be linked to the teaching methods, it…

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) and Metaverse applications are gaining attention in the educational field, showing potentials in transforming traditional learning methods by supporting active and experiential forms of learning. Our study, conducted within the context of an Italian university course, employs the Extended Expectation-Confirmation…

Retention and persistence in college are related to academic adjustment and success. Academic adjustment is the ability of students to deal with educational demands and feel satisfied with the academic environment. Academic adjustment is affected by both cognitive dimensions and non-intellective factors, and it is related to academic satisfaction.…

Research has linked cultural differences between a sojourner's home and host country with their cultural transformation. Nonetheless, the results of empirical studies are inconclusive due to different operationalizations of cultural differences and testing among different groups of sojourners. We extend previous investigations by examining the…

This study aims to understand the impact of a faculty development program emphasizing active learning (innovative teaching) attended by instructors of diverse disciplines at the University of Padova in Italy, which has had an 800-year history of using traditional approaches to teaching and learning. Using a community of practice theoretical…

In the last few years, several initiatives based on extracurricular activities have been organized in many countries around the world, with the aim to reduce the digital gender gap in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) fields. Among them, the Digital Girls summer camp, organized every year since 2014 by two Italian universities with the…

This study investigates the differences between in-place and online project-based learning carried out over the years at the University of Macerata in the course of Economics and Marketing of Agri-food (an undergraduate degree in Cultural Heritage and Tourism). The study aimed to investigate the key elements to consider to implement online…

Nowadays, in the higher education sector, the quality measurement process of education-related services is assuming a crucial role to support focused and targeted improvement activities deeply centered on students' needs/necessities. These are considered crucial factors for dealing with the current academic competitive context. Therefore, the…

A growing body of research has explored the effects of Covid-19-induced online learning on students' experiences. However, there is a lack of validated tools that measure the perceived online learning experiences of domestic and international students in various national and cultural contexts. To address this gap, this article aims to develop the…

The University of Bergamo switched from regular classes to online classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic during March 2020, without leaving to the students the chance to meet their teachers in the traditional setting even once. As such, this context represents a unique opportunity to compare the traditional courses, held in the years before, with…

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is the analysis of the evolution of students' satisfaction over time in a large Italian university and the effects on it because of some characteristics of the teachers: didactic practices, beliefs and needs with regard to teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach: The first step of the analysis…

Using the Biggs' 3P learning model and correlational design, this study explores the relationship between students' individual characteristics and course perceptions, approach to study, and academic outcomes, which account for the differences in academic achievement and student delay. 612 Italian students of a master's degree in psychology…