Gifted mathematicians often struggle to remain motivated when pursuing higher-level study, yet Further Education institutions rarely offer effective tailored support, prioritising lower-attaining learners. Having identified Vygotskian social learning as a potentially suitable theory for aiding motivational pedagogical-design, two gifted students…

For a large number of Higher Education institutions in the UK, the recruitment of international students remains vital for economic, political, cultural and educational benefits. Increasing competition within the international student market has encouraged many Higher Education institutions to pay closer attention to the quality of their…

Against the backdrop of a diverse and challenging Higher Education (HE) environment within the United Kingdom (UK), this paper extends existing debates around extracurricular activities (ECAs) and considers students' engagement in ECAs within this context. Adopting a case study approach, and involving a team of student researchers, students'…

The first year of university is often considered challenging and difficult for students who are adjusting to different academic and social demands. In this context, teacher-student interactions can play a crucial role in fostering student motivation, engagement in learning, a sense of belonging to the university and academic persistence. Although…

This paper examines an alternative approach to grading at a public university in Singapore. Beginning in 2014, all incoming students were given a 'grade-free' period of assessment. This was designed to give new students time to adjust to university life and to inspire students to approach their learning free from the worry of grades. Similar to…

Individual differences in 'adaptability' -- cognitive, behavioural, and emotional adjustment in the face of change, novelty, and uncertainty -- are theorised to influence students' academic achievement and course satisfaction; although the literature examining these relations in tertiary education is sparse. In the present study, first-year…

Research suggests that students entering Higher Education are doing so with greater expectations around their graduate employability. Students' volunteering activities have been of interest to academics, but the impact of these activities on learning, employability and student satisfaction has been neglected. The current study investigated whether…

How can universities build ongoing, committed relationships with students, able to withstand the financial and emotional challenges of studying in higher education? The research proposes that students' ongoing attachment to their university, based on positive feelings towards the university, is an important aspect of the student experience. This…

Disengagement and a lack of motivation have been found to be the major reasons for student drop out from higher education. In order to broaden our understanding of institutional and personal factors associated with intention to complete a college degree, this investigation examined the relationship between students' perceptions of classroom…

The academic support system that is available online for distance students can prove quite beneficial to them before and especially during their course/programme of study. Potter posited that the goal of a programme's academic learner support services for distance learners must be to meet their needs by linking them with fellow students, faculty…

Undergraduate students are often expected to be participants in academic research. However, decisions relating to student participation in research are typically based on speculation or educator assumptions rather than a solid research base. We conducted three studies to investigate student experiences of research participation. These included…

Academic boredom is a largely negative and disabling achievement-related emotion. In this mixed-methods exploration of 224 students attending a single university in England, academic boredom was found to arise at the point of course delivery, while studying at other times and during the completion of assignments for assessment. Quantitative data…

This article reports on a study into the motivation of young Emirati undergraduate students for studying in a higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The participants were male and female undergraduate students in their first or second year of studying. The aim of the study was to examine their motivation using a framework…

The introduction of the new UK tuition fees resulted in concerns about the impact on higher education (HE) uptake, and raised questions regarding students' motivations for attending university. The current study explored first-year undergraduate psychology students' (N = 56) reasons for attending HE through a series of focus groups. These were…

This article examines the claim that a fully immersive English language learning experience can be ensured by universities engaged in transnational education through offshore campuses. Taking as a case study one South East Asian offshore campus of a Western university, the inquiry was designed to discover the extent to which students did, in…