We explore and critically reflect on the research development of eight science or engineering doctoral students serving as research assistants over the course of an academic year. We use a cognitive apprenticeship framework, assumed to explain doctoral students' skill development, to interpret narratives of skill development for students and…

This article explores how insights and new knowledge were incorporated about narrative inquiry methodology, poverty, and deficit ways of thinking through a journey of mentorship. The experiences of a graduate student, as she journeys through the roles of a research assistant and graduate researcher, all the while being part of a positive…

The article presents a particular case of undergraduate students working on subprojects within the framework of their supervisors' (the authors') research project during Autumn Semester 2012 and Spring Semester 2013. The article's purpose is to show that an institutionalized focus on students as "research learners" rather…

This paper highlights the results of a study on the effects of student-faculty interaction on academic dishonesty; the results were used to develop an explanatory model showing how faculty's classroom demeanor and attitude can impact the likelihood of cheating. Individual, confidential interviews pertaining to student-faculty interaction and…

The United States is experiencing a dire need for individuals who possess training and expertise in areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). With over half of the nation's students entering university environments via community colleges coupled with a large portion of this population majoring in STEM areas, the…

Wyoming Community College Commission policy currently states any student enrolled for more than 12 credit hours will be charged tuition for only 12 credit hours. This policy is referred to as the tuition cap. In November 2010, the commission discussed increasing the tuition cap to 15 credits. An increase from 12 to 15 credits would have…

The community college is the primary path that Hispanic students choose to start their college careers. Americans who speak English as their second language will continue to grow and require community colleges to offer more culturally diverse educational programs with specific resources devoted to them. This qualitative study was comprised of 11…

Social capital, the value of a relationship that provides support and assistance in a given social situation (Stanton-Salazar, 2001), is a useful theory for understanding the experiences of low-income adolescents who are the first in their families to attend college. According to social capital theory, networks of relationships can help students…

This study examines whether community college developmental summer bridge programs (DSBPs) can help students acquire the academic and college knowledge needed to attend and succeed at a four-year higher education institution. In-depth interviews with 14 participants at nine four-year institutions in Texas were conducted two years after their…

Community college engineering transfer students are a critical student population of engineering degree recipients and technical workforce in the United States. Focusing on this group of students, we adopted Rendón's (1994) validation theory to explore the students' experiences in community colleges prior to transferring to a four-year…

This study examined the influence of community college students' engagement on their intention to transfer and major in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) field. The STEM Student Success Literacy Survey was used to collect data among all 15 community colleges in Iowa. The authors developed a measurement model for community…

This study explores the expectations and early and subsequent realities of text-to-speech software for 24 nonnative-English-speaking college students who were experiencing reading difficulties in their freshman year of college. The study took place over two semesters in one academic year (from September to June) at a community college on the…

An interview study at a community college in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States reveals factors in the persistence of English language learners (ELLs) starting from their courses in English as a second language (ESL) through to their graduation or transfer to 4-year institutions. The results form a narrative of a day in the life of a…

This study examines campus climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) undergraduate students at community colleges. Data for the study originates from Rankin, Blumenfeld, Weber, and Frazer's (2010) "State of Higher Education for LGBT People." We analyzed both quantitative data generated from closed-ended…

Community colleges have increased their efforts to attract international students, but little is known how these active efforts influence international students' decisions to attend a community college. This longitudinal study focuses on international students at one community college that embarked on an active international student…