Improving the practical skills of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students at a historically black college and university (HBCU) was done by implementing a transformative teaching model. The model was implemented on undergraduate students of different educational levels in the Electrical Engineering (EE) Department at HBCU. The model was also extended to carefully chosen high and middle schools. These middle and high school students serve as a pipeline to the university, with a particular emphasis on fostering growth within the EE Department. The model aligns well with the core mission of the EE Department, aiming to enhance the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of students, ensuring that they are qualified to work in industry or to pursue graduate studies. The implemented model prepares students for outstanding STEM careers. It also increases enrolment, student retention, and the number of underrepresented minority graduates in a technology-based workforce.

In the perspective of this article, the intercultural influences are viewed through the lens of educational benefits likely to be acquired by students following international socio-educational exchange programs. A model analysis is proposed based on these benefits on students majoring in economic areas, and it has been based on the perspective of influences through education and interaction with different cultures as compared to those of which the individual belongs to, respectively social influence. The research carried out was based on the observations made throughout a five-year period, between 2013 and 2018, regarding the evolution of students participating in the Erasmus programs. The analysis of the international socio-educational experience of people who studied abroad at a foreign university for a certain period of time was the starting point to design a research methodology so that the proposed topic could be investigated by collecting, structuring and analysing qualitative data, considering the fact that qualitative data will allow the discovery of associations of features, respectively of the benefits of personal experiences, which can only be analysed and perceived through the lens of points of view of those who experienced them. The qualitative research included the analysis of students in economics majors participating in the Erasmus program during the academic year 2018–2019 at a small university. The interview technique was used and the processing and interpretation of the data was carried out using software specific to qualitative research. The analysis carried out focused on the identification of complex connections underlying in the answers received from the respondents, answers that allowed the outlining of conceptual maps related to the research objectives. The purpose of the analysis was to underline the intercultural influences as perceived throughout four processes: individual internalization, socialization, individualization and humanization. These influences are revealed by the outcome of the research, that is the five conceptual maps that have resulted. These conceptual maps represent a starting point for future similar researches.

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally transformed the global education landscape, compelling institutions to adopt e-learning as an essential tool to sustain academic activities. This research examines the critical impact of e-learning on arts and science college students in Coimbatore, with an emphasis on its influence on their readiness for campus recruitment. Using a survey of 300 students, this study investigates their perceptions of online education, highlighting both its advantages, such as flexibility and accessibility, and its challenges, including engagement barriers and technical limitations. Data was collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using statistical methods to draw meaningful insights. The research also explores the efficacy of online assessments in recruitment processes and assesses students’ awareness of available e-learning platforms and courses. The urgency of this study lies in addressing the pressing need to optimize digital education models as institutions globally transition toward blended learning post-pandemic. The findings underline the dual potential and limitations of e-learning, concluding with actionable recommendations to enhance its effectiveness, particularly in preparing students for competitive employment opportunities.

In learning, one of the fundamental motivating factors is self-efficacy. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the level of students’ self-efficacy in learning programming. This article presents a quantitative study on undergraduate students’ perceived programming self-efficacy. 110 undergraduate computing students took part in this survey to assess programming self-efficacy. Before being given to the respondents, the survey instrument, which included a 28-item self-efficacy assessment and 30 multiple-choice programming questions, was pilot-tested. The survey instrument had a reliability of 0.755. The study results show that the students’ self-efficacy was low when they solved complex programming tasks independently. However, they felt confident when there was an assistant to guide them through the tasks. From this study, it could be concluded that self-efficacy is an essential achievement component in programming courses and can avoid education dropouts.