Associate Professor Ming-Te Wang. Over the past 30 years, the topic of student engagement has taken a prominent place in psychology and education because of its potential for addressing problems of student boredom, low achievement, and high dropout rates. When students are engaged with learning, they are able to focus attention and energy on mastering the task, persist when difficulties arise, and feel connected to their school. Unfortunately, studies show that by the time they enter...
Assistant Professor Lindsay C. Page. All along the college-going pipeline, students’ educational goals often exceed their outcomes. At first blush, high rates of failure to transition to or complete college may seem surprising, given that the returns to earning a postsecondary degree remain substantial. However, a closer look reveals the many factors that can hinder students from realizing and succeeding in their college aspirations. More students aspire to college than complete the appl...
In various ways, the Pitt School of Education focuses on many points in the developmental span. We have programming in early childhood education, in effective teaching in the K-12 world, in the leadership and management of universities, and in teaching people at all ages to live healthier lives. One area we have not addressed much in the past is adult literacy. However, adult literacy has become a more important social issue in the information age, so we are beginning to look into ways to lev...