Hyun Jin Cho’s research while affiliated with Purdue University and other places

Aim: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether course transformation teaching strategies using repetitive quizzing and peer-tutor supplemental instruction help enhance students' learning experiences and learning outcomes based on self-determination theory. Background: Undergraduate baccalaureate pharmacology and pathophysiology courses were redesigned as part of a campus-wide course transformation program to promote students' perceptions of learning and academic achievement. Method: Students in the nursing pathopharmacology course participated in the two-time online perception survey (pretest and posttest) and knowledge-based exams. Results: Results revealed that the course transformation implemented to support students' basic psychological needs was significantly associated with both learning outcomes and students' feelings of competence while also decreasing attrition rates. Conclusion: Considering the depth and breadth of pathopharmacology content, the teaching intervention using repetitive quizzing and peer-tutor supplemental instruction may contribute to improving students' understanding of the course content while promoting their competence.

Although testing is used mainly for assessing student learning, a new teaching strategy called concept-point recovery (CPR) makes testing a learning opportunity for engineering students to review errors and misconceptions. CPR allows students to regain points by reviewing wrong answers and explaining the solution process to the instructor to demonstrate understanding. The aim of this study is to explore students’ perspectives on which aspects of CPR influence their learning experience using self-determination theory (SDT). Four categories were uncovered from the thematic analysis of eleven participants’ interview data: (a) CPR as a tool to gain in-depth understanding; (b) autonomy in a supportive learning environment; (c) a less stressful test-taking environment; and (d) the importance of the instructor’s role. The findings from this study support the literature and suggest that actively engaging engineering students in CPR encouraged them to regulate motivation and strive to learn difficult material.

Objective Being skilled in the development and use of assessments is crucial if teachers are to know whether their students are meeting learning objectives. Unfortunately, many preservice teachers hold beliefs at odds with views that are adaptive for the promotion of learning. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the relationships between epistemic beliefs and preservice teachers’ understanding of foundational concepts of assessment. Method Participants were 282 undergraduate students enrolled in an educational psychology course. Multiple regression was used to examine these relationships followed by a deductive analysis of field journal entries. Results Results revealed a relationship between epistemic beliefs and understanding of assessment. Those with beliefs in knowledge as more fluid and evolving made more connections between the course and their field experience and demonstrated greater understanding of foundational concepts. Conclusions Our findings suggest that teacher education programs should be structured in ways to promote these beliefs. Such beliefs may result in more effective teaching and assessment practices more congruent with the promotion of meaningful learning amongst the next generation of students.

Background Applied Calculus courses serve hundreds of thousands of undergraduates as quantitative preparation and gatekeepers across diverse fields of study. The current study investigated how motivational factors are associated with students’ learning outcomes in Applied Calculus courses from the perspective of self-determination theory—a sound comprehensive motivation theory that has been supported by considerable research in psychology and education. In order to have a nuanced understanding of students’ motivation and learning in Applied Calculus courses, we used three different types of learning measures to investigate students’ mathematics achievement, including course grades, a standardized knowledge exam, and students’ perceived knowledge transferability. Results We tested the relationships between motivational factors and learning outcomes with a multi-semester sample of 3226 undergraduates from 188 Applied Calculus classrooms. To increase the precision of our analysis, we controlled for three demographic variables that are suggested to be relevant to mathematics achievement: gender, minority group status, and socioeconomic status. With a series of multilevel modeling analyses, the results reveal that: (1) competence satisfaction predicts college students’ mathematics achievement over and above the satisfaction of needs for autonomy and relatedness; and (2) autonomous motivation is a more powerful predictor of college students’ mathematics achievement than controlled motivation and amotivation. These findings are consistent across different types of learning outcomes. Conclusions Self-determination theory provides an effective framework for understanding college students’ motivation and learning in Applied Calculus courses. This study extends self-determination theory in the field of mathematics education and contributes to the dialogue on advancing undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education by providing evidence to understand how motivational factors are associated with students’ learning outcomes in undergraduate mathematics courses.

We explored Asian international students’ successful learning experiences and adjustment through the lens of self-determination theory. To explore how international students perceive their classroom learning environments and learning experiences in more detail, a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was used. In the quantitative phase, empirical relationships between autonomy-supportive environments and affective (language anxiety), behavioral (discussion participation), and cognitive (adaptive beliefs about classroom assessments) learning components in the classroom were examined. In the qualitative phase, results from the quantitative study were further explored for additional explanations through follow-up interviews. Autonomy-supportive environments seemed to satisfy international students’ basic psychological needs, which decreased language anxiety and increased classroom participation and adaptive perspectives about classroom assessments. The discussion focuses on the theoretical and classroom implications of the quantitative and qualitative findings. This study contributes to the literature by suggesting a solid theoretical foundation to support successful academic adjustment among Asian international students.

The aims of this paper are to examine the breadth of scholarship that emerged from a large-scale university-wide course transformation program between 2011 and 2021, to investigate how the course transformation program influenced students’ perceptions of their learning environment and learning achievement, and to discuss future directions for improving autonomy-supportive learning in higher education. We gathered all quantitative and qualitative publications related to the IMPACT course transformation program, and 35 articles were included in the study. Since the scope of the study topics in the course transformation program varied and program implementation was applied to various study contexts and disciplines, the findings were first summarized in a narrative manner. Additionally, a meta-analysis was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the course transformation based on 10 journal articles that adopted quasi-experimental designs. The findings revealed that the courses redesigned through the program supported students’ positive learning experiences, including motivation, satisfaction regarding basic psychological needs, knowledge transferability, and academic performance. This paper discusses implications and future directions to enhance undergraduate students’ academic success through course redesign. Further exploration is needed to determine the additional effect of course redesign in higher education.

Background To address some challenges that the large lecture-focused courses have faced in higher education, the flipped classroom model was implemented in mechanical engineering. The purpose of the study was to investigate mechanical engineering undergraduate students’ performance in the flipped classroom. A comprehensive analysis was conducted to investigate the pedagogical benefits of active learning in the flipped classroom from a self-determination theory perspective. To evaluate the effectiveness of the flipped classroom, students’ academic achievements in the flipped classroom were compared with the ones in the traditional lecture format. Moreover, to explore in-depth students’ learning experiences and their perceptions about the flipped classroom, students’ open-ended surveys were analyzed. Results Results demonstrated that students in the flipped classroom performed better and favored the new model, feeling that flipped classroom was useful and helpful in preparing for the course. The qualitative findings showed that students felt that they benefited from the pre-week online lectures in the flipped classroom to prepare for the course. Conclusions The current study shows that the flipped classroom model has the potential to create an autonomy-supportive learning environment and provide beneficial learning experiences. This study highlights the benefits of and future direction for implementing the flipped classroom in traditional mechanical engineering courses.

As an increasing number of international students are studying in English-speaking universities, there has been growing interest in exploring the factors and complexities that impact international students’ academic achievement and adaptation during their studies. The present study aimed to investigate how international students adapt to new academic environments in US universities by exploring the relationships between self-determined motivation, beliefs about classroom assessments, the use of self-regulatory learning strategies, and academic performance based on self-determination theory. To examine international students’ learning experiences, 321 international Asian undergraduate students at a large research-intensive midwestern university participated in an online survey. Structural equation modeling was conducted to test the proposed model. The findings demonstrated that self-determined motivation in courses led to adaptive beliefs about classroom assessments, which promoted a variety of self-regulatory learning strategies, including shallow and metacognitive strategies. Metacognitive learning strategies were significantly related to students’ academic performance. This study allows us to better understand how Asian international students adapt to US academic environments through their motivation to learn, perspectives about classroom assessments, and learning strategies across different academic disciplines at the university level.

Background Active learning pedagogy has recently received a great deal of attention, and many universities have attempted to create student-centered learning environments to improve students’ academic success. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of concept-point-recovery (CPR) teaching sessions as an active learning strategy on students’ perceptions of the learning environment, motivation, and academic learning outcomes in an electrical engineering course. To investigate the effectiveness of CPR sessions, students’ perceptions of learning and their performance were compared to those of students in a control classroom. Finally, students’ written comments on the course and instructor were explored in further analysis. Results The quantitative findings revealed that there was a significant change in students’ perceptions of learning after the CPR teaching sessions, and there was an increase in students’ perceptions and learning outcomes compared with those of the control group. In addition, the qualitative findings from students’ written feedback demonstrated that students felt that the instructor cared about students’ learning and success and that they had a positive learning environment. Conclusions CPR teaching sessions can be an alternative model for instructors to connect with students and create supportive environments to help students achieve academic success, which in turn promotes the satisfaction of students’ basic psychological needs and self-determined motivation. Therefore, increasing students’ engagement in their learning processes and making connections with students through CPR teaching sessions can facilitate improvements in students’ motivation and academic success. How this new active learning technique can be applied to higher education is discussed.