University students are more likely to feel satisfied and persist with their studies if their experiences have met their expectations, and vice versa (Wu, Tsai, Chen, & Wu, 2006). Understanding what online students expect, therefore, is important to guide how universities might satisfy and retain these students. Research into online student…

To better understand STEM interest development during adolescence in an urban community, we examined how "STEM Interested" youth differed from disinterested youth and how interest changed over time from age 11/12 to 12/13. We surveyed youth to measure interest in four components of STEM, used cluster analysis to categorize youth based on…

We present an educational data analytics case study aimed at the early detection of potential dropout in Computer Engineering studies in Cuba. We have employed institutional data of 456 students and performed several experiments for predicting their permanency into three (promotion, repetition, and dropout) or two classes (promoting, not…

Although socioeconomic disparities in college enrollment have declined, gaps in college completion persist by income and geography. We investigate a text messaging campaign in West Virginia, which addressed informational barriers and behavioral obstacles to college persistence by providing college students with simplified information,…

Entering academia can be a stressful and overwhelming experience for any first-year professor. Nobody expects that their first year as an early career professor will involve having to navigate the unique difficulties that can arise during a global crisis. This article takes a multidisciplinary approach to persevering through the unique struggles…

Background: Academic buoyancy refers to students' ability to come through ordinary challenges they face in the academic context, and it can positively contribute to students' beliefs and behaviours in learning situations. Although buoyancy has been found to be related to positive academic outcomes, previous studies have not examined how buoyancy…

This paper explores the effect of a paired lab course on students' course outcomes in nonmajors introductory biology at the University of Alaska Anchorage. We compare course completion and final grades for 10,793 students (3736 who simultaneously enrolled in the lab and 7057 who did not). Unconditionally, students who self-select into the lab are…

An introductory sophomore-level chemical engineering course was redesigned, and this redesign included cyber-assisted learning through online videos, team formation, and team evaluation software. We compared the traditional 2018 course (n = 48) with the redesigned 2019 course (n = 67) on student persistence (DFW rates), motivation, and course…

This study leverages naturally occurring lotteries for oversubscribed Boston Public Schools prekindergarten program sites between 2007 and 2011, for 3,182 children (M = 4.5 years old) to estimate the impacts of winning a first choice lottery and enrolling in Boston prekindergarten versus losing a first choice lottery and not enrolling on…

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of eight undocumented students who successfully studied abroad between 2012 and 2016. In-depth interviews of students at a public research university in California articulate the determination, resourcefulness, and unspoken fears that undocumented students carried with them throughout the…

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the factors for success and course completion through the lens of participants in a Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) system implemented in Turkey. Thirty-two participants were selected on the basis of purposive sampling among 5000 enrolled users from 10 MOOCs, who were then classified into 3…

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (AITSL, 2011) stipulate that graduating teachers need to be classroom-ready and able to perform at a 'graduate standard'. However, recent research indicates that nearly 50% of beginning teachers lack readiness, are overwhelmed with stress, and will leave the profession within five years. This…

Alternative certification programs provide a potential solution for teacher shortages in high-needs settings and content areas. These programs often attract career changers, who bring a passion for their content area and a desire to make it relevant to students. Research suggests that support during the first year is critical, but little is known…

Purpose: This paper aims to introduce a new retention model suitable for academic setting that is based on the interaction between creativity, emotional intelligence and learner autonomy. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses quantitative research methods, especially survey, to justify the hypotheses testing and the components of new…

Peer mentoring has emerged as a viable retention strategy to aid higher education institutions in their efforts to ensure freshmen students make it through that crucial first year and beyond and obtain that degree. Although peer mentoring has been in existence for decades and, there is increasing research on this topic, there are no reviews of the…