Education Commons^™

Minority Student Perceptions Of Mental Health, Emily Camacho

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

The current study explored the use of mental health services by minority students at South Dakota State University (SDSU) using thematic analysis. There are numerous reasons that college students choose not to utilize counseling services even though they may be needed. For example, students may avoid counseling out of fear of cultural stigma associated with help-seeking (Ægisdottír et al., 2011). Further, minority students may be more likely to use non-counseling help services such as religious organizations or friends and family in place of formal counseling because they believe that counselors are racially biased, or that there is a lack of …

A Guided Inquiry-Based Laboratory Experiment: Synthesis And Characterization Of Various Phthiocol Complexes, Turina Jangula

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Despite proven effectiveness of constructivist guided-inquiry based instruction for college chemistry courses, teaching in advanced chemistry courses such as inorganic chemistry remains very much traditional. This persistence of traditional instructional approaches could be attributed to the lack of inquiry-based curriculum materials for these courses. In this paper a guided-inquiry based inorganic laboratory experiment on the synthesis and characterization of phthiocol complexes with four different metals is presented along with suggestions for implementation as a laboratory activity. The experiment is unique in terms of its development based on a social constructivist framework and has student discussion and conceptual understanding of inorganic …

Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety: Midwestern Language Learner Exploration, Justin J. Mahutga

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Numerous studies in the communication discipline have explored the negative impacts of communication apprehension on college students and ways instruction can help reduce such anxiety. Study of a specific form of apprehension, foreign language anxiety, has received far less scholarly attention, but could serve college students well. Therefore, the current study attempts to establish a solid basis for continuing research aimed at the currently underserved ESL/EFL (English as a second/foreign language) learning community as well as for English-speaking foreign language learners at one mid-sized Midwestern university. The objective of this study is to establish a baseline for understanding the extent …

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 14.

The Relationship Of High School Size, Gender And First-Year Retention Rates At South Dakota State University, Scott Deslauriers

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This study examines selected demographic characteristics of six South Dakota State University 2008 – 2013 cohorts of first-time, full-time freshmen who graduated from South Dakota public high schools. The purpose of our study is to explore the relationship between high school size, gender and student retention at South Dakota State University.

Information that was both gathered and analyzed about these students includes their high school size and gender. Our examination of this data uses descriptive statistics to identify characteristics of students who were retained after their first year at SDSU. This study identifies two findings of interest: first, students graduating …

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research: Volume 12

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 12.

A Little Goes A Long Way: Pressure For College Students To Succeed, Jennifer R. Davis

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

When college students begin college they experience pressure from multiple sources. For example, they experience pressure from their parents to succeed, from their professors, and pressure from themselves to do well in classes. This pressure could lead to high anxiety and possibly even poor performance in classes. Prior research that has examined the impact of anxiety on performance includes the Yerkes-Dodson law and the Processing Efficiency Theory. Both argue that anxiety increases the performance to a point, but then performance decreases again with too much pressure. The Processing Efficiency Theory also includes motivation. This motivation increases the drive to succeed …

Effects Of Student Athletics On Academic Performance, Nicole Grimit

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of involvement in athletics at the collegiate level at South Dakota State University. This paper seeks to determine if participation in collegiate athletics is beneficial to a person or if its disadvantages outweigh the advantages. Sixty-seven student-athletes completed a survey during October of 2013 to determine the effects that athletic involvement has had on SDSU’s campus. This study found that participation in athletics is extremely beneficial. These athletes performed better in the classroom, developed impressive time management skills, felt motivated to complete their degree, were motivated to attend classes, and …

The Effects Of Retrieval Practice On Metacognitive Monitoring Accuracy: A Comparison Of First- And Other-Generation Students, Paul Boettcher

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

Being metacognitively accurate, or knowing what you know and do not know, has been correlated with and experimentally related to positive academic outcomes and memory performance. Knowing what you know is also referred to as monitoring accuracy. People that have high monitoring accuracy also effectively control their future study by focusing on the material they have not learned and spending less time on the material they already know, this is known as metacognitive control. Given the connection between metacognitive monitoring and control with performance on criterion tests, much research has been devoted to improving metacognition. The known groups of people …

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research: Volume 10

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 10.

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research: Volume 09

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 13.

Parental Influence On Adolescent’S Academic Performance, Jessica Schmuck

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this survey research was to uncover how the relationship of parental involvement and parenting styles influence their adolescent’s academic performance and success. Parents need to be actively involved in their adolescent’s life, support and provide assistance with school and help instill motivation and confidence. This research was conducted by personally distributing surveys to a class of students at the Brookings High School in October 2010. The survey found that half of the participating adolescent’s stated that their parents had a strong influence on their academic performance. This was critical information because it supported previous research conducted regarding …

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research: Volume 08

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 8.

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research: Volume 07

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 7.

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research: Volume 05

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 5.

The Journal Of Undergraduate Research: Volume 03

The Journal of Undergraduate Research

This is the complete issue of the South Dakota State University Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 3.