Student agency--the ability to exercise control over one's own thought processes, motivation, and action--is a central skill in today's information age. As technology continues to accelerate learning expectations and change, it is essential that one can make independent decisions, self-regulate, and adapt to complex, changing environments. The…

A variety of studies have shown that social and academic integration are important indicators of future student success and satisfaction. They are therefore an important field of action for higher education development programmes. However, specifications of the theoretical models and empirical representations vary widely between researchers and…

The central concept of this review underscores the fact that the development of a feeling of belonging at school occurs because of different interactions between developing students and the school's ecological environment over time. This review argues that Bronfenbrenner's Bio-ecological Systems Theory can best explain the development of school…

This article explores the concept of resilience as it relates to gifted children, particularly gifted black children, and identifies barriers to resilience. Recommendations for fostering resilience in these students are offered, including improve family-school-community relations, enhance self-concept, and improve social and emotional relations.…

This paper examines characteristics of resilience and compares characteristics of giftedness and resilience. It discusses cognitive appraisal as a mechanism used by gifted children as they develop resilience. Applications for working with gifted students and areas for future research are noted. (JDD)

The focus of this paper is the effect of teachers' expectations for their students on their own behavior, on the classroom environment, and on learning. Literature is reviewed and integrated, and an assessment system for matching individual students with learning environments is presented. Section one reviews literature on the following topics:…

Examines the role of orientation programs from a student learning perspective and reviews current orientation programming practices. Argues that orientation programs facilitate the transition and integration of students into the college learning environment. Describes some exemplary orientation activities which demonstrate the varied aspects of…

Reviews the literature regarding older, or nontraditionally aged, students at four-year institutions. Looks at definitions for older students, trends in the older student population, older student development theory, older student issues, and outlines the Contact, Listening, Assessment, Information, Resources, and Efficiency (CLAIRE) model of…

Evaluates a program that promoted adaptation of students in their first year of secondary school. The program focused on developing healthy self-perceptions, and cognitive, affective and behavioral skills. Analyses revealed the predicted positive effects of the program on psychological and social outcomes. Findings underline the need to address…

Analyzes the sequence of decisions students make in their transition to college, and finds six distinct time periods in the formal process that students go through. This decision-making process can be described using information management strategies of "prototype-matching" and "striving-for-future-selves." Argues colleges can use this information…

Engagement is a potentially useful construct for organizing strategies to support adjustment, achievement and retention in school, particularly among our most vulnerable student populations. Even if high quality schooling is available, high levels of achievement will implicitly demand engagement on the part of students. This initial analysis,…

A review is provided of past and present literature on the reactions of students to transfer from primary to secondary school giving rise to a number of hypotheses about the potential difficulties associated with this process. A study is described in which attitudes towards transfer of 207 Year 6 students attending five primary schools in the…

A study was done at the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada) examining the experiences, concerns and interests of college freshmen. Of 65 entering students who agreed to participate, 37 signed up for the study in September, 1988, with 24 women and 4 men completing all study requirements: completion of a daily diary; bimonthly unstructured…

Little is known about how students become involved in the various dimensions of student change and development as they make the transition from work or high school to college. This paper describes the results of a series of focus-group interviews with 132 diverse, new students entering either a community college; a liberal arts college; an urban,…