Background: Free-choice learning, which often takes place in settings such as zoos, is where the learner has autonomy to choose what, where, how, and with whom to learn. Currently, little is known about the potential of free-choice learning experiences at informal settings to engage undergraduates in biology. Purpose: We sought to explore how…

Considerable research has shown that receiving effort-focused praise affects motivation positively, while ability-focused praise affects motivation negatively. However, these studies have investigated only the effects on the one receiving praise (the praisee). Therefore, we examined the effects of praise on the one offering praise (the praiser),…

Purpose: The lack of physical contact and the absence of nonverbal clues could make some learners uncomfortable interacting with others via online learning platforms. Hence, understanding the determinants of students' motivation and engagement in online learning platforms is crucial in harnessing digital technology as an enabler of unrestricted…

The broad relationship between students' self-efficacy and interest has been highlighted for decades. This, along with the inherently developmental nature of learning, calls for a more thorough examination of the way fluctuations in students' self-efficacy influence their interest in learning within a single course over an academic year and…

The main aim of this study is to examine the mediating effect of psychological capital (PsyCap) on the relationship between proactive personality and academic performance among undergraduates. A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional study was employed. The sample consisted of 390 undergraduate students from Malaysian private universities.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of basic psychological need satisfaction and motivation on students' use of deep and surface learning strategies across undergraduate kinesiology courses. This study used a survey consisting of demographic questions and three self-report questionnaires assessing basic need satisfaction,…

Goal setting and grade loss aversion have individually been found to be effective motivators for student performance. We combine these two strategies to investigate, in a university setting, the effectiveness of grade endowment within a goal-setting framework. Our participants set grade goals which some must earn the traditional way, thus framed…

The novel coronavirus caused a global pandemic with negative implications on stress and a significant impact on dance education. The aim of this study was to investigate mental well-being and sleep hygiene in undergraduate dance students during this global pandemic. Fourteen undergraduate dance students completed the DASS-21, PSQI, and questions…

Specifications grading is a form of alternative grading that emphasizes transparency, low stakes, student learning, and equity. It has attracted practitioners for its potential to enhance student motivation, and to remedy several challenges of traditional grading. Specifications grading has become increasingly popular, yet little is known about…

The last few decades have seen a growing trend toward the analysis of creativity and flow experiences in pedagogy, but we have only a limited knowledge of how cultural institutions can contribute to flow experiences in learning processes. Our study argues that the effectiveness of learning might be enhanced by the experiential accumulation of…

With a growing number of Latine students in higher education, we investigated the support and protection mechanisms in place for first-generation Latine/Hispanic college students at large-land grant institutions in the Southeastern region. We used the Psychosociocultural (PSC) framework (Gloria and Rodriguez, 2000) to examine how Latine student…

This study examines survey data from 2127 undergraduate women at the 2015 and 2019 American Physical Society Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) in order to classify what led them to study physics. We use expectancy-value and self-efficacy theory to create a coding framework based on different types of value and efficacy…

This paper examines the experience and role of negative emotions in facilitating university students' learning in world music courses. Based on a review of literature in music psychology and music education, we posit that negative emotions can engender a meaningful learning context. In this project conducted in an Australian university, we created…

The drive to broaden equitable access to undergraduate research experiences has catalyzed the development and implementation of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). Biology education has prioritized embedding CUREs in introductory labs, which are frequently taught by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). Thus, a CURE GTA is…

We conducted a field study using Tobii Glasses 2.0 eye-tracker to assess 11 experienced university teachers' eye gaze patterns in classrooms, and the impact of these patterns on 293 students' engagement, motivation and satisfaction. Independent-samples t tests showed that compared to teachers who gazed primarily at students, teachers who showed a…