The Internet has become the main information source of graduates, trainees and young professionals, who use online information to base their professional decisions and actions. However, trainees often perform poorly when it comes to correctly evaluating the credibility of online media and critically dealing with online information, which can…

This study explores how adolescent and young adult (AYA) women exercise their autonomy when making the decision to use an intrauterine device (IUD). The study team interviewed 42 AYA women participating in a longitudinal study of AYA women's experiences during the first year of IUD use conducted within 30 days of IUD placement. I found young…

This study aimed to determine which type of information source--providing either mathematical or relative data--children aged 5-11 would prefer. Additionally, the study examined how children justified their choices and whether differences existed in their justifications. A total of 837 children participated in the study. The children watched…

Parents of young children routinely search for child care and early education (CCEE). Nationally, approximately 30 percent of households in 2019 with a child under six years of age reported searching for CCEE in the past 24 months (Kabourek 2024). Parents arrange CCEE so they can work or attend school and to support their child's learning. Yet…

Effective undergraduate statistical education requires training using real-world data. Textbook datasets seldom match the complexities and messiness of real-world data and finding these datasets can be challenging for educators. Consulting and industrial datasets often have nondisclosure agreements. Academic datasets often require subject area…

Three-year-olds often respond to lies as if they were true or with no clear rationale. Individual differences influence children's processing of misinformation. Here, we explore how two contextual cues (children's conflicting first-hand knowledge and different information sources) affect their ability to correctly interpret and respond to…

There is a great disparity in college-going rates between students from the highest and lowest socio economic quantiles in the United States. This quantitative study looks at messages students receive about college as a way to explore reasons why students choose to attend or not to attend college. [The dissertation citations contained here are…

Using data from multiple informants has long been considered best practice in education. However, multiple informants often disagree on similar constructs, complicating decision-making. Polynomial regression and response-surface analysis (PRA) is often used to test the congruence effect between multiple informants on an outcome. However, PRA…

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) play a pivotal role in K-12 public schools supporting students with a wide variety of needs. Like other educators, they face a vast array of choices for teaching material ranging from $1 downloadable worksheets to scripted curriculum that cost over $200 from educational publishing companies. The purpose of this…

This study examines US adults with learning disabilities' health information-seeking behaviors using PIAAC data. It aims to answer questions about preferred sources based on gender, race, literacy, and numeracy skills, and how lifelong learning impacts health seeking. Wilson's Information Seeking Behavior model is used as the theoretical…

College students often need to seek academic help, especially in online environments. Students may choose from variety of options for help, including their instructor, the internet, and friends. Current research efforts fail to fully explain undergraduate students' source selection process available in a real-world context. A holistic,…

This study identifies factors that influence undergraduate students' selection of a source of help. Learners engage in intentional decisions to seek help from human and non-human sources to resolve gaps in knowledge. Previous research in academic help-seeking assumed learners sought only human sources of assistance, resulting in a narrow…

Controversial scientific issues, or socioscientific issues (SSIs), demand the consideration of more than scientific content when constructing decisions. The Justification for Knowing framework (JFK) was developed to categorize the information sources drawn upon when making SSI decisions within the academic domain of natural sciences. These…

Background/purpose: Financial literacy is essential for adolescents navigating complex digital finance. However, gaps persist due to inconsistent formal education, varied parental influence, and uncritical digital exposure. This study explores the financial education experiences, financial management behaviors, and digital financial misconceptions…

Deciding which colleges to apply to and then which one to attend can be an overwhelming and complicated process for students preparing to graduate from high school. During this process, access to sufficient and accurate college information is critical, as it is through this information that students are able to make informed choices and reduce…