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In this exploratory qualitative study, we examined African American mentors' perspectives of what they identify as the needs of their African American undergraduate protégés and the challenges that may impede their protégés' success. Interviews were conducted with 10 African American mentors who hold STEM PhDs. Data were analyzed using an iterative emergent, thematic coding method and a narrative analysis method as a methodological framework. Findings indicated that some protégés may lack a sense of entitlement or contextualized confidence and may need personalized information and a plan to assist them in navigating academic environments. There are several opportunities for helping undergraduates overcome these challenges, such as mentoring practices focusing on ways to increase protégés' sense of empowerment and providing personalized information about navigating academia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charles W. Eliot’s revision of curriculum through the elective system has had significant influence on U.S. higher education. Contemporary concerns about constrained resources and “efficiency” efforts have called into question the value of investments in diverse course and degree offerings. This summary of Eliot’s elective system and its impact on U.S. higher education curricula offers a historical perspective to inform contemporary discourse in a time of reform. Eliot’s inaugural speech and introduction of the elective system are examined, including the context for its introduction, the challenges incurred during implementation, and the benefits it has yielded for U.S. higher education and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Target language proficiency and pedagogical capabilities are considered to be the two main teacher attributes necessary for second/foreign language teaching. Drawing on this notion, two hypotheses were tested: (a) minimum threshold levels of language proficiency and pedagogical capabilities exist and (b) teachers' language proficiency and pedagogical capabilities are interdependent. A total of 167 Korean secondary school English as a foreign language teachers self-reported their English proficiency, teaching efficacy, and frequency of English use in their English instruction. A sequential multiple regression with interaction was employed to investigate the relationship between these two teacher attributes and their contributions to English use as an outcome behavior. The results supported both hypotheses. Only teachers above the minimum threshold levels of both attributes showed positive associations among the two competences and English use. Above the minimum levels, language proficiency and self-efficacy were interdependent, magnifying each other's impact on the teaching behavior. The results pointed to the beneficial potential of continuous development of linguistic and pedagogical competences even after teachers possess the minimum levels. Given that previous research has assumed nonnative teachers as one homogenous group and explored language proficiency and self-efficacy separately, this study addresses important theoretical, methodological, and practical gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the role of higher education in well-being and empowerment of students in the U.S. Topics include role of higher education in enhancing self-confidence and self-efficacy in students; the national Bringing Theory to Practice (BTtoP) project which focuses on student well-being as outcome of learning and the Engelhard Project to Connect Life and Learning of Georgetown University. Other topics include liberal education and college staff to acknowledge student well-being.

This study examined the direct and indirect effects of medical clerkship students' prior knowledge, self-regulation and motivation on learning performance in complex multimedia learning environments. The data from 386 medical clerkship students from six medical schools were analysed using structural equation modeling. The structural model revealed that medical students' prior knowledge directly positively affected their learning outcome, selfefficacy and performance approach goal orientation. The learners' self-regulation had a significant positive direct effect on learning outcome. The learners' mastery goal orientation directly affected their learning outcome. Interestingly, inconsistent with our hypothesis, the learners' performance approach goal orientation showed a significant negative direct effect on learning outcome, and performance avoidance goal orientation had a significant positive effect on learning outcome. These findings help develop a more comprehensive understanding of the role of individual characteristics on learning performance of complex tasks in multimedia learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Self-based achievement goals use one's own intrapersonal trajectory as a standard of evaluation, and this intrapersonal trajectory may be grounded in one's past (past-based goals) or one's future potential (potential-based goals). Potential-based goals have been overlooked in the literature to date. Aims The primary aim of the present research was to address this oversight within the context of the 3 × 2 achievement goal framework. Samples The Study 1 sample was 381 US undergraduates; the Study 2 sample was 310 US undergraduates. Methods In Study 1, we developed scales to assess potential-approach and potential-avoidance goals and tested their factorial validity with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. In Study 2, we used confirmatory factor analysis to test both the separability of past-based and potential-based goals and their higher order integration within the self-based category. Results Study 1 supported the factorial validity of the potential-approach and potential-avoidance goal scales. Study 2 supported the separability of past-based and potential-based goals, as well as their higher order integration within the self-based category. Conclusions This research documents the utility of the proposed distinction and paves the way for subsequent work on antecedent and consequences of potential-approach and potential-avoidance goals. It highlights the importance of focusing on distinct types of growth-based goals in the achievement goal literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful online students must learn and maintain motivation to learn. The Self-regulation of Motivation (SRM) model (Sansone and Thoman ) suggests two kinds of motivation are essential: Goals-defined (i.e., value and expectancy of learning), and experience-defined (i.e., whether interesting). The Regulating Motivation and Performance Online (RMAPO) project examines implications using online HTML lessons. Initial project results suggested that adding usefulness information (enhancing goals-defined motivation) predicted higher engagement levels (enhancing experience), which in turn predicted motivation (interest) and performance (HTML quiz) outcomes. The present paper examined whether individual interest in computers moderated these results. When provided the utility value information, students with higher (relative to lower) individual interest tended to display higher engagement levels, especially when usefulness was framed in terms of personal versus organizational applications. In contrast, higher engagement levels continued to positively predict outcomes regardless of individual interest. We discuss implications for designing optimal online learning environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful learning in higher education incorporates various factors related to knowledge, skills, habits, and motivation. Additionally, students' personalities and self-efficacy may contribute to their adjustment, planning of activities, and achieving success. The objective of this paper is to analyze students' needs for support services, which enhance the effectiveness of their learning environment at higher education institutions. Answers received from a sample of undergraduate freshmen at one American University and one Croatian University were analyzed and compared. The students from both countries agree that there is a need for developing self-reliance and personal responsibility in using support services, as well as for the timely and accurate information on availability of these services. Students' suggestions and their desire to enhance effectiveness of their learning environment may be used in creating and improving support services in higher education institutions as well as training their staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]