The purpose of this study was to discover some of the difficulties that first-year students have when they begin university. It was important to get the students to articulate those difficulties, in their own words, so that a better understanding could be attained. As expected, most of the difficulties centred on the institution itself. Students…

Innovations in learning with conscious thinking result in conceptual and effective learning. New strategies and techniques of learning aim at bringing about change in behavior that might help in solving problems of the individual at local and global level. This paper inquires into benefits of Reflective Practice in Open and Distance Learning in…

Memphis, Tennessee secondary students (male/female, Black/White, college bound/vocational, public school/ parochial school) were surveyed with the Problems-Areas Survey to see how anxious they were about grades. All groups ranked grades as an important problem. The survey instrument is included. (SJL)

Adults many times misunderstand adolescence and the problems from which adolescents suffer. However, there are few quantitative studies that have evaluated the prevalence of "common" teenage problems. To address this lack of hard data concerning perceived high school/adolescent problems, a study was commissioned to determine…

A 14-item questionnaire was administered to 240 White middle class high school students to assess the seriousness of typical adolescent problems. The three most worrisome problems were physical appearance, careers, and grades. Sex, age, and college v work-bound differences are discussed. The questionnaire is included. (Author/SJL)

During the 1985-1986 and 1986-1987 school years, the In-Touch Task Force of Glenbard High School District 87 developed a questionnaire to survey students on several areas of concern and to assess student willingness to participate in school-based information or intervention programs. The survey consisted of 150 multiple-choice questions and 8…

In this study, a peer-operated university-based anonymous hotline is a data source for the assessment of student concerns and needs, providing empirical information for prevention-oriented psycho-educational campus programming. This paper covers the collection and assessment of data from the anonymous hotline service of the Middle Earth Peer…

The Student Needs and Priorities Survey was administered to 15,619 students on 18 campuses of the California State University. The survey, like similar surveys conducted in 1981 and 1984, addressed four broad concerns: life goals and educational priorities; personal lives, finances, employment status, and family backgrounds; levels of satisfaction…

A study was conducted at Southwest College (SC), in Texas, to ascertain students' attitudes toward campus safety and the college's responsiveness to student needs. The study also sought to determine if students considered safety issues when choosing a campus, if they perceived a need for a safety organization, and if they encountered non-safety…

A survey of 14 teachers at a central Virginia school investigated their attitudes concerning their involvement in students' problems outside of the school. In addition, 33 fifth grade students were surveyed concerning their attitudes about teachers' involvement, and interviews were conducted with two teachers, one principal, and one counselor. The…

Adolescents continue to use alcohol and other drugs despite the profound risks to their health. This thesis examines the attitudes of students in grades 7-9 toward alcohol and other nonprescriptive mind-altering substances. Eight independent variables were investigated: (1) gender; (2) grade placement; (3) DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)…

Prompted by concern over the low transfer rates of Black and Latino two-year college students in California, a study was conducted at the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) to examine the influence that student and institutional characteristics have on the access of CCSF's Black and Latino students to four-year colleges. Questionnaires were…

In 1991, a study was conducted at the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) to determine the characteristics of and major problems confronting adult students with English as a second language (ESL). A questionnaire was distributed to the 105 CCRI students enrolled in ESL I, ESL II, and Paragraph Writing for ESL classes, requesting them to…

In spring 1992, a study was conducted at Johnson County Community College (JCCC), in Kansas, to gather information about the lives of the college's students, focusing on how they manage the demands of school, work, and family. A survey was administered to 466 currently enrolled students, soliciting data pertaining to students' time use,…

Low self-esteem frequently impedes students' academic achievement. By incorporating different learning and teaching strategies, this practicum attempted to build self-esteem for fifth grade students who exhibited low self-esteem. Participants were selected based on their attendance, academic achievement, and/or behavior. The writer incorporated…