While the common elements of collegiate transition have been defined and explored, there are layers of complexity in students' characteristics and educational pathways that make this transition experience different for every student. This exploration centers on students as they experience the higher education continuum, beginning before the first…

Shy children are wary in the face of new social situations and perceived social evaluation. In this regard, the transition to kindergarten may represent a particularly challenging task for shy children. In this review, we explore the kindergarten classroom as a particularly stressful context for shy children. We examine the adjustment difficulties…

This study examined the differential predictors of institutional persistence between adult and traditional-aged degree-seeking, first-time enrollees at a public, multicampus 2-year community college in southeast Virginia. Differential predictors of institutional persistence were found between the traditional-aged and adult students. For…

The aim of this article was to outline the basis for an introductory course to higher education focusing on students' approaches to learning and the role of teaching in higher education. The framework is a discussion on contemporary literature on approaches to learning. In the article experiences are also reported of developing and implementing an…

One area of research that has significant implications for improving the education of students at-risk of academic failure is concerned with resilient students or those students who succeed despite the presence of adversity. This study focuses on why some people overcome adversity and succeed despite the odds. The study identifies the context and…

This study is an investigation of how school consolidation between 2003 and 2006 affected the lived experience of students and educators in four Arkansas high schools. We present findings from twenty-three interviews with students, teachers, and school administrators who moved to a new high school because of consolidation, as well as those who…

This study examined the concurrent relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and externalizing and internalizing problems and social school behavior in a Spanish community sample, separately for boys (n=439) and girls (n=428), enrolled in 2nd, 4th, or 6th grades. Weekly participation in extracurricular activities was related…

Retention and graduation are major challenges in South African higher education institutions. These phenomena are especially troubling among Black and Colored (BC) students at both historically advantaged and historically disadvantaged institutions. The retention and graduation rates of these groups are disturbingly low compared to those of White…

This study investigated the extent to which learning readiness, prior-to-school experiences, and child and family characteristics influence children's literacy and numeracy achievement across the first year of primary school. A sample of 104 kindergarten children was recruited from 16 classrooms and followed from the beginning to the end of their…

Researchers, policymakers, and educators face a daunting task these days concerning literacy education for the here and now and literacy for the future. Even though one clings to the romantic notion that education provides the building blocks in a straight line to a meaningful future, the reality is that mixed goals and instructional messages…

The findings of a best-evidence synthesis of the collateral effect of literacy instruction on the social adjustment of students are reported. The goal of the synthesis was to extend the work of Wanzek, Vaughn, Kim, and Cavanaugh (2006) by (a) reviewing treatment-outcomes conducted using group design methodology; (b) focusing on a more defined set…

(Purpose) The purpose of the present study was to assess the impact of self-efficacy and self-esteem on the experiences of homesickness and initial adjustment to college in first-year college students. (Methods) The second week of college 107 first-year college students (28 men, 79 women) completed a questionnaire assessing self-efficacy,…

Many four-year institutions accept community college transfer students at mid-year (i.e., second semester) to recuperate declines in fall semester enrollments (Britt & Hirt, 1999). Students entering mid-year may face unique challenges adjusting and find that the institutional support to assist in their adjustment that is available to students…

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of ninth-grade students and their teachers and parents/guardians with regard to the transition from middle school to high school. A mixed-method approach with both qualitative and quantitative measures assessed attitudes toward this transition. Student focus groups were also conducted…

Although there is considerable research on student adjustment to college, to date no research has been conducted on the urban students' adjustment to a rural college environment. Through the use of focus groups that met three times during the semester, five females and five males from New York City discussed and shared their experience of…