In this study, an online survey was constructed based on the extant literature on college student success. The survey was used to collect data from a sample of college students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) majors in order to examine their learning experiences and to identify the factors that may influence their persistence…

Evolutionary theory is central to the biological sciences, and to critical aspects of everyday life, and yet a significant proportion of Americans reject evolution. Our study sets out to examine the role of a second year college general education course in affecting students' acceptance of evolution. We report three years of data using the Measure…

The U.S. Congress has recognized that safety is essential on our college and university campuses. Incidents such as the Virginia Tech massacre and the death of Jeanne Clery have emphasized the need for legislation that assists students in selecting a safe college and improves their safety by reducing the incidence of crimes and fires. The Clery…

This study examined academic characteristics and tendencies of first-generation and second-generation students. Students at a mid-sized state university in Tennessee were surveyed to determine their preferred learning format, number of hours enrolled, hours applied toward studying outside the classroom, hours working off-campus, and current GPA.…

This research uses contact theory to examine the impact of a service learning class on college students' attitudes toward people with disabilities. Students were involved in both lecture material and working directly with people with disabilities in a therapeutic camp environment. Eighty-four students responded to the questionnaires at three time…

The study sought to identify the benefits of FFA membership based on the fulfillment of three basic human needs: love and belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization. The study focused on the fulfillment of FFA members' basic human needs as defined by Abraham Maslow. The three needs on which this study focused are: love and belonging,…

As state tests of student achievement are used for an increasingly wide array of high- and low-stakes purposes, evaluating their instructional sensitivity is essential. This article uses data from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Measures of Effective Project to examine the instructional sensitivity of 4 states' mathematics and English…

Several studies demonstrate the impact that childhood abuse has on adult life (Felitti et al., 1998; Galea, 2008). This study sought to examine the impact of childhood abuse on college student life. Physical, sexual, emotional, and spiritual abuse were examined in a group of college students from Andrews University and Southern Adventist…

This study explores Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment grounded in a learning-outcomes-based curriculum as a vehicle for student engagement and learning. This study explores the demographics of participants and the perception of learning that occurred within the context of engagement in experiential learning activities during the first week of the…

Student loans are a crucial aspect of financing a college education for millions of Americans, yet we have surprisingly little empirical evidence concerning individuals' unwillingness to borrow money for educational purposes. This study provides the first large-scale quantitative evidence of levels of loan aversion in the United States. Using…

The purpose of this study was to determine a student's computer knowledge upon course entry and if there was a difference in college students' improvement scores as measured by the difference in pretest and post-test scores of new or novice users, moderate users, and expert users at the end of a college level introductory computing class. This…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perception of Tennessee Rehabilitation Center (TRC) students' education. TRC is a vocational rehabilitation training school in Middle Tennessee for individuals with disabilities throughout the state of Tennessee that are seeking employment after graduating from their training. In Tennessee,…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of an online mathematics program, I CAN Learn (ICL), impacted the attitudes and academic achievement of eighth grade students in rural Tennessee. This study was accomplished through the use of quantitative and qualitative data including attitude surveys, interviews, and observations of…

This study explored the impact of using best practices identified in previous studies in designing age-appropriate websites for middle and high school youth. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, 31 middle and 22 high school youth took part in six focus groups across four states. Participants were introduced to a website specifically designed for…

Refugee and immigrant students face challenges in pursuing higher education. This study examined factors that affect the decision of refugees and immigrant students to pursue higher education in Tennessee. The factors included cultural capital these students acquire from their parents and families; cultural difference they have with the mainstream…