MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS AFFECTING RETENTION IN PRE-SERVICE TEACHER EDUCATION ACROSS KARACHI, PAKISTAN

The undertaken study is intended to investigate motivations of student-teachers in the teaching profession. The sampled respondents include trainee prospective-teachers enrolled in B Ed Honors programs offered by University of Karachi through its affiliated colleges and at its main campus. This study ascertains the Factors that Contribute to their Motivation for Joining teaching profession. Obtained data was analyzed using ANOVA and T-Test statistics. Inferential statistics enabled researchers to find hidden meanings of the data by examining the difference between means of the data; by establishing relationships between the Variables of interest. some interesting findings such as; social utility of teaching, gender influence on selecting profession of teaching, parental qualification and profession’s influence on prospective teachers’ motivation etc. were challenging the traditionally held myths about motivational factors in choosing teaching profession, . The study bears implications for different stakeholders of the teacher education system in order to develop a learning environment that motivates the students to perform and achieve well.

Perceptions of talented university students related to opportunities and autonomy for creative productivity

Creative, motivated, and high-achieving students are found in every college and university, but not all of these students participate in honors programs which might support their talent development. This comparative case study investigated the perceptions of 10 participants who completed university-level “Type III experiences.” It extends the sparse research on enrichment and gifted education pedagogy in undergraduate students, framed on Renzulli’s Four-Part Theoretical Model for Gifted Education in the 21st Century. Interviews explored students’ perceptions of the experience and effects on their executive functions and future plans. Using Strauss and Corbin’s technique of open, axial, and selective coding, one overarching theme of this study emerged: support provided for creative productivity led to autonomy and enabled students to complete advanced and creative projects.

Community College Honors Programs: Examining the Research Agenda, 1984-2019

Across many community colleges, honors programs help prepare students to transfer and excel at four-year institutions. These programs introduce students to more rigorous coursework while providing them access to additional support services. Despite the popularity of these programs, little is known about the scope of the literature on community college honors programs. In response, I use this review to examine 78 texts published between 1984 and 2019 on two-year college honors programs. I find that while scholars have explored a variety of topics on honors programs, only two texts have exclusively focused on student demographics. This is troubling given that honors programs have been previously faulted for their lack of diversity. In addition, nearly all the literature has come in the form of case studies, which severely limits the ability to compare programs with one another. I conclude this review by offering potential areas of further study for researchers and practitioners alike.

Success of Honors Program in Azerbaijan: Do Honors Students Perform Better Than Nonhonors Students?

The purpose of launching honors programs in Azerbaijan was not only to introduce advanced academic programs but also to change the culture in the universities: to make students more socially active, to encourage them to participate in international competitions, and continue their education. Keeping these goals in mind, we evaluate honors programs by comparing honors students and nonhonors students in respective universities by (a) academic performance, (b) future academic goals, and (c) participation in extracurricular activities. We showed that when we look at academic performance, future academic goals, and some of the extracurricular activities, honors students clearly outperform nonhonors students.

Perfectionism and the Imposter Phenomenon in Academically Talented Undergraduates

The imposter phenomenon is characterized as difficulty internalizing success due to feelings of inauthenticity or phoniness despite contrary evidence of competence. Academically talented students in undergraduate honors programs could be more vulnerable to the imposter phenomenon as compared with other undergraduates because of experiences surrounding perfectionism and participation in highly selective programs. In this study, researchers examined the relationship between gender, honors program participation, perfectionism, and the imposter phenomenon among undergraduates. Results of a hierarchical regression analysis indicate that socially prescribed perfectionism and honors program participation relate to higher levels of imposter feelings in an undergraduate sample. Implications and practical recommendations for researchers, educators, school counselors, and college administrators are discussed.

Perfectionism and the Imposter Phenomenon in Academically Talented Undergraduates

The imposter phenomenon is characterized as difficulty internalizing success due to feelings of inauthenticity or phoniness despite contrary evidence of competence. Academically talented students in undergraduate honors programs could be more vulnerable to the imposter phenomenon as compared to other undergraduates because of experiences surrounding perfectionism and participation in highly selective programs. In this study, researchers examined the relationship among gender, honors program participation, perfectionism, and the imposter phenomenon among undergraduates. Results of a hierarchical regression analysis indicate that socially prescribed perfectionism and honors program participation relate to higher levels of imposter feelings in an undergraduate sample. Implications and practical recommendations for researchers, educators, school counselors, and college administrators are discussed.

The W-shaped model of professional competencies for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its relevance to honors programs

As the world is undergoing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), the fusing of physical, digital, and biological worlds with the new technologies, we experience a profound impact of this revolution on the labor markets and subsequent career planning of students. The new economic reality created by 4IR calls for immediate action in the world of higher education. The purpose of this paper is to advocate for new key competencies that university students will need to thrive in the new economy. These competencies include human literacy, digital fluency, hyper-learning, and systems and design thinking. Together, they are presented as the ‘W- shaped 4IR Competency Model’. This model combines previously published opinions about the topic from various educational futurists who have tackled the issue. This paper includes a call to action for universities to address the skills gap challenge of college graduates and rethink their value propositions. As honors programs are the breeding ground for innovation, universities might consider starting to test the robot-proof, twenty-first-century curricula with the smaller honors cohorts and then consider the curricular transfer to the mainstream educational programs. We urge honors educators and administrators around the world to adopt curricula that will make their graduates ‘robot-proof’ and able to thrive in the new economy for decades to come.