Because of their open enrollment policies, community colleges serve large numbers of students whose K-12 education has left them unready to succeed in college-level courses. Colleges typically use test scores such as the ACT to place students into appropriate course levels. However, the use of test-based measures alone has been criticized as being…

We identify systematic differences in ninth-grade teachers' effects on students' course grades in their class (ninth-grade grade value-add), their persistent effects on students' grades in the same subject of the next grade (tenth-grade grade value-add, representing effectiveness at academic preparation), and mismatch between the grades they give…

The pursuit of a master's degree is a significant academic endeavor, one that is influenced by a complex interplay of factors extending beyond traditional academic performance. In this study, we estimate the determinants of timely master's degree completion (i.e., within 3 years) using modern machine learning models such as random forest, decision…

Purpose: The present study explored relationships between social network position, SRL, and academic achievement among biomedical engineering (BME) students. Methods: A cohort of undergraduate students (n = 107) entering their first year in the BME major participated in an online survey that asked about their demographic information,…

The transition to high school often induces feelings of discomfort among students, potentially leading to stress and challenges, especially given their diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. If left unaddressed, these difficulties may contribute to disengagement, classroom challenges, and, in some cases, academic setbacks or dropping out. This study…

This study uses the 2018 National Graduates Survey (NGS) to examine how postsecondary education grades are related to the labour market earnings of workers, and the potential moderating effects of work experience during school, work placements related to the field of study, and training acquired since graduation. Using simple regression models, we…

This study employed the technology acceptance model to explore Saudi undergraduates' perspectives on using ChatGPT for English as a foreign language learning. It also aimed to explore the impact of gender, academic level, and experience with ChatGPT on their perceptions. A descriptive quantitative approach was used, using a web-based questionnaire…

This study examined whether first-time full-time freshman students' sense of purpose predicted their progress towards a degree. Freshman students (N = 421, 62.2% females) completed self-report measures of sense of purpose and academic commitments within the first month of starting college; a year later, the data on first-year progress towards a…

Learning communities for college students have been shown to improve first-year student outcomes and narrow equity gaps, but longer-term data to evaluate whether these benefits persist through multi-year retention and graduation are rare. This is especially important for students in science, technology, engineering and math, who often confront…

The goal of this study was to extend research on scale contextualization (i.e., frame-of-reference effect) to the decision making styles construct, compare the effects of contextualization across three unique decision style scales, and examine the consequences of scale contextualization within an item response theory framework. Based on a mixed…

This study estimates the association of participation in a nine-week online educational program to prepare students for post-graduate (juris doctorate) education and law school grades. We collected registrar data from 17 U.S. law schools for participants and non-participants from the same year and a prior year. We compared first-semester law…

The Research Excellence Framework is a high-stakes exercise used by the UK government to allocate billions of pounds of quality-related research (QR) funding and used by the media to rank universities and their departments in national league tables. The 2008, 2014 and 2021 assessments were zero-sum games in terms of league table position because…

Delays in meeting math requirements can impede the progress among community college students who aspire to earn a baccalaureate degree. To investigate this issue, we used state administrative data from Texas to examine the prevalence and predictors of math course repetition and how math course repetition predicts transfer students' outcomes. More…

Degree completion on theoretical time is a phenomenon seldom explored in the higher education literature. We applied variance components models and random coefficients models to the microdata of an entire entrant cohort of first-time, full-time undergraduate students who completed their three-year programme at a Portuguese institution during the…

This study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of college freshmen who maintained good academic standing of a GPA 2.0 and higher and used a Health and Wellness Workout Center at least once a week. The study used a qualitative research design, specifically a focus group, to gather in-depth information from participants. Participants…