This study sought to examine the instructional practices of faculty noted for exemplary teaching to identify support systems that help students succeed. Based on attrition reports across postsecondary institutions that show approximately one-fourth of students who leave college before degree attainment, finding solutions that can help students…

When instructing very large groups of students in science, it can be difficult to engage all students in the content and measure their understanding. A major unaddressed challenge in science instruction is how specifically to design and implement strategies that engender active learning particularly in high-enrollment undergraduate courses. Active…

This dissertation explores the intricate dynamics between the self-perceptions of undergraduate mathematics (UM) educators and their conceptions of excellent teaching practices conducive to student learning. Employing a sequential mixed methods approach, the study addresses two primary research questions. First, it investigates educators'…

Background: Higher education is more diverse than ever with a drastic increase in college enrollment over the past two decades by those who have not traditionally sought undergraduate credentials, including students with disabilities (Espinosa, Turk, Taylor, & Chessman, 2019; Clouder et al., 2020). Despite the growing demographic diversity of…

There have been recent pushes for more active learning in mathematics classrooms, especially at the undergraduate level. To incorporate more active learning, there is a need for tasks that explicitly support this type of instruction, attention to student reasoning and whose ideas are publicly acknowledged, and awareness of differences in students'…

Increasing the production of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) undergraduate degrees is a critical component of maintaining the U.S.'s scientific edge in the face of increasing global competition in the areas of science and technology. Lagging graduation rates in STEM are a partial reflection of outdated, instructor-centered…

The education and training of future food and nutrition professionals plays a vital role in preparation for managing complex food and nutrition problems. Within food systems, food???? and nutrition professionals provide nutrition education to individuals and families and work to ensure? ?access???? to nutritious and culturally significant foods.…

Engineering leaders around the world are concerned about the decrease in skilled professionals in engineering fields. This concern led to the exploration of active learning in two undergraduate civil engineering courses. The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to investigate the impact of active learning on engineering students' motivation to…

Participation in the science workforce is low, and this can be partially attributed to low retention rates of undergraduate students who initially declare a science major. Low retention rates are further exacerbated for under-represented minority (URM) and first-generation (FG) college students pursuing science, and the existence of achievement…

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that support the adoption of active learning teaching strategies in undergraduate courses by faculty members, specifically in the STEM disciplines related to geoscience. The focus of the study centered on the context of the department which was identified as a gap in evaluation and…

Throughout the history of higher education, measurement of learning was based on face-to-face delivery. Today, delivery of higher education through distance learning is moving to the forefront, and the quality of education offered in this venue has become a contentious topic. This is especially true with the undergraduate population, a population…

This dissertation examined natural selection in westslope cutthroat trout ("Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi") and undergraduate learning in the subject area natural selection. Translocation--moving individuals to a new habitat to establish, re-establish or supplement a population--is a crucial management strategy for cutthroat trout. One of…

Recent initiatives in the laboratory curriculum have encouraged an inquiry-based approach to learning and teaching in the laboratory. It has been argued that laboratory instruction should not just be hands-on, but it should portray the essence of inquiry through the process of experiential learning and reflective engagement in collaboration with…

The one-on-one atmosphere of collegiate applied-music instruction offers teachers and students a unique opportunity for increasing communication, developing stronger relationships, and cultivating creative learning and teaching methods. An effective model for teaching and learning, the "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate…

The purpose of this single-site case study was to explore and describe community college students' perceptions of linked courses instructors' use of Chickering and Gamson's (1987) Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education within student learning communities and students' perceptions of how important the principles were in helping…