In modern society, academic success is closely associated with achievement. In order to help students realise their potential, it is essential to understand the factors that promote academic success. The research literature indicates several factors that are associated with academic success, including learning strategies, self-direction, and…

This study identifies significant differences between the learning approaches of mature and 'conventional' students, answering the call for more empirical insights into mature students' learning experiences. The study uses a survey approach, collecting data with the Biggs SPQ Instrument, involving 204 university students in Ghana, and applies…

Researchers are becoming increasingly interested in the use of transformational leadership theory in higher education teaching (often referred to as transformational instructor-leadership). Much of this body of research investigates a direct association between transformational instructor-leadership and student outcomes. In the present study, we…

Academic emotions in the context of master's thesis work is a highly understudied issue. This study examined the association between self-regulated learning skills and academic emotions elicited by master's thesis work. Altogether, 84 behavioural sciences students conducting their master's theses completed a survey comprised of a modified version…

Research has indicated significant disparities in the academic achievement of minority and majority groups in most Western countries. In light of the role of academic achievement as the main component of social mobility, it is important to understand the source of these differences between the majority and minority groups. The present research…

Hong Kong has introduced a senior intake admission scheme which is similar to the US model of credit transfer from community college programmes to university bachelor programmes. The study aimed to assess the outcomes, in terms of generic capabilities, of introducing a senior intake articulation scheme to a bachelor of nursing curriculum in Hong…

Study programme withdrawal and student perseverance in post-secondary education are major challenges for post-secondary institutions, especially in view of the increasing difficulty of retaining the student clientele during the first year of university studies. To analyse the challenges students face in terms of learning strategies, we asked…

All over the world, universities have to cope with the mission to promote the employability of their graduates, implying that competences should be trained which are relevant for the professional experience. In this context, it is of special interest where graduates work and what they are doing at work. In this study we focus on educational…

There are arguably many factors that affect the way a student learns. A recent report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA) on student academic experience in the UK states that class size is an important factor in the quality of the student experience and that smaller class sizes provide greater…

The academic year 2012/13 marked a major milestone in the history of Hong Kong higher education as it witnessed the admission of two markedly different cohorts of Cantonese-speaking freshmen to the city's English-medium universities: those embarking for the last time upon the traditional 3-year programme modelled on the British system of initial…

The link between motivation and success is well documented; however, there is still room to problematise motivation in regards to the individual and contextual levels. This study looks at motivation in relation to students studying undergraduate engineering courses at a Caribbean university and seeks to discover the factors that motivate them to…

During the transition from school to higher education, young adults experience a substantial amount of change where they progress from the highly controlled setting of school to the autonomous and self-motivated environment of university. Time spent at university is considered a critical period during which young adults establish a clear sense of…

Recent studies have indicated that the "sophomore slump" (dissatisfaction and disengagement of second year students in the US) may also be observed in other countries, including the UK. However, no studies have reported on the effects of support interventions on student perceptions. This study used the DREEM-S survey, a modification of…

Many factors influence students' progress in higher education. However, the students' own voices are seldom heard. Using a qualitative approach, the study explored students' own experiences of the factors that have influenced their studying. Research has indicated that students' experiences are often related to their approaches to learning.…

Previous research indicates that higher educational students' perceptions of stress are in part related to the teaching and learning context, and influence academic outcomes. This study intends to deepen our understanding of these processes by examining the linkages between approaches to learning, perceived stress and expected and actual academic…