Undergraduate research experiences are key to preparing STEM students for a range of careers and graduate programs, and to impacting retention in STEM. Providing undergraduate research experiences can be challenging for institutions due to the high cost associated with equipment and reagents, lab space, and research mentors. In this study, we…

Purpose: To explore undergraduate students' experiences leading and facilitating an out-of-school-time (OST) physical activity program for middle school girls. Method: Five female undergraduate students (N = 4 Black or African American) participated in semistructured individual interviews and submitted weekly reflections during their time leading…

Despite growing interest in immersive block models in higher education, very little is known about the experiences of international students in these non-traditional forms of learning. To enable an initial view of how international students perceive and perform in an immersive block model, we used an exploratory mixed methods approach to examine…

College students' learning experiences were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the move to emergency remote teaching during March 2020. With the present availability of vaccines, many colleges and universities are now transitioning back to in-person learning. Students will need pedagogical support during this transition, but…

Many in higher education are calling for a re-think of teaching and learning principles. The global pandemic de-stabilized foundational assumptions that guided pedagogy for many higher education practitioners. One such assumption is the value of the physical classroom for student engagement. Advances in educational technology and online learning…

This phenomenological study aimed to explore the experiences of women with psychological disabilities to ascertain factors contributing to their persistence and success toward obtaining a 4- year college degree. The research questions examined were: (a) What do women with psychological disabilities identify as contributing to their success in…

This study aimed to address the gap in an environmental science undergraduate course by investigating the impact of explicitly integrating the Nature of Science (NOS) into the instruction of scientific inquiry. The lab-based course focused on developing an understanding of the natural world, as well as the processes scientists use to study that…

While scholars have found that undergraduate involvement in research is beneficial, the lack of such experiences in the social sciences and humanities is glaring. This paper analyzes how an emphasis on community through cohort models impacts undergraduate student experience in research, taking from the Emerging Scholars Program, an…

The purpose of this study was to illuminate the experiences of undergraduate students who participated in academic community-engaged learning, specifically as those experiences related to student mental health and wellness. The data for this qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was collected through semistructured interviews…

Black African students are increasingly choosing the United States as their preferred destination, and many choose to study at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate reasons that may influence their identification and commitment to those PWIs. We interviewed 20 sub-Saharan Africans at two…

The process of professional actor training is one that requires vulnerability and often leads to self-discovery. At the same time, studies have shown that the impact of acting on performers is complex and can also lead to psychological trauma. This dissertation addressed the questions (a) What are the experiences of former students of BFA Actor…

This study illuminates the leadership experiences of undergraduate business students undertaking a 1-year work placement. Semi-structured interviews and reflective journals were used to explore the students' leadership experiences before and during their placement. Through reflection on these experiences, students were able to make sense of their…

The proliferation of digital software is an increasingly accepted part of everyday life in higher education in the United States. While this software affords some opportunities, it can create confusing experiences for students as well. In this paper, I ask how might increasingly complex digital ecosystems in higher education shape the contours of…

A flipped classroom is typically one where some of the instruction occurs asynchronously prior to the scheduled synchronous meeting between students and the instructor. Since 2000, they have gained substantial popularity especially in STEM fields where they have been shown to have increased exam scores and reduce the number of students who fail.…

European students bring with them a variety of feedback experiences and literacies. Yet this variety tends to be underexplored. This study unpacks European students' past experiences of feedback and the expectations they bring with them to the new learning context at a STEMM UK institution. Through examining the meaning behind the word…