Anne-Barrie Hunter - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Anne-Barrie Hunter
The Journal of Higher Education, 2011
Experiential education has long been emphasized as a part of undergraduate education in the scien... more Experiential education has long been emphasized as a part of undergraduate education in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines (Singer, Hilton, & Schweingruber, 2005), through laboratory and project-based coursework, as well as out-of-class participation in internships, coops , and research. In fact, however, the value of experiential education is largely presumed: evidence from well-designed research and evaluation studies is fairly sparse about the educational value of either course-based lab work (Hofstein & Lunetta, 2004; Nakhleh, Polles, & Malina, 2003) or more in-depth experiential education in STEM. Only recently, for example, have the benefits to students of undergraduate research been explored (for a review of recent literature, see Hunter, Laursen, & Seymour, 2007; Seymour, Hunter, Laursen, & DeAntoni, 2004). The value of internships and other professional opportunities has been even less well demonstrated (Anakwe & Greenhaus, 2000).
Talking about Leaving Revisited, 2019
The contributory causes of switching and relocation were presented in Chap. 3 as a summary of STE... more The contributory causes of switching and relocation were presented in Chap. 3 as a summary of STEM students, overall. However, as described in subsequent chapters, there are variations in what prompts these decisions. Drawing on both interview and institutional records data analysis, in this chapter, we explore reasons why high-performing STEM majors—particularly women—switch to non-STEM fields. We also discuss variations in the processes whereby decisions to switch or relocate are reached, and in the negative personal consequences that switching often involves. Given this patterned variability, we argue that single cause theories about which students are most at risk of switching, and why and how they leave the sciences, cannot be accurate.
The SALG instrument can spotlight those elements in the course that best support student learning... more The SALG instrument can spotlight those elements in the course that best support student learning and those that need improvement. This instrument is a powerful tool, can be easily individualized, provides instant statistical analysis of the results, and facilitates formative evaluation throughout a course. Instructors feel that typical classroom evaluations offer poor feedback, and this dissatisfaction is heightened when these instruments are used for promotion decisions. We've found that questions about how well instructors performed their teaching role and about "the class overall " yield inconclusive results. We believe all of these shortcomings are addressed with the SALG. WHAT IS THE SALG INSTRUMENT? The SALG is a web-based instrument consisting of statements about the degree of "gain " (on a five-point scale) which students perceive they've made in specific aspects of the class. Instructors can add, delete, or edit questions. The instrument is ad...
ABSTRACT: Descriptions of student-identified benefits of undergraduate research expe-riences are ... more ABSTRACT: Descriptions of student-identified benefits of undergraduate research expe-riences are drawn from analysis of 76 first-round student interviews gathered at the end of summer 2000 at four participating liberal arts colleges (Grinnell, Harvey Mudd, Hope, and Wellesley). As part of the interview protocol, students commented on a checklist of possible benefits derived from the literature. They also added gains that were not on this list. Students were overwhelmingly positive: 91 % of all statements referenced gains from their experiences. Few negative, ambivalent, or qualified assessments of their research ex-periences were offered. The benefits described were of seven different kinds. Expressed as percentages of all reported gains, they were personal/professional gains (28%); “thinking and working like a scientist ” (28%); gains in various skills (19%); clarification/confirmation of career plans (including graduate school) (12%); enhanced career/graduate school prepa-ration (...
ABSTRACT: In this ethnographic study of summer undergraduate research (UR) experiences at four li... more ABSTRACT: In this ethnographic study of summer undergraduate research (UR) experiences at four liberal arts colleges, where faculty and students work collaboratively on a project of mutual interest in an apprenticeship of authentic science research work, analysis of the accounts of faculty and student participants yields comparative insights into the structural elements of this form of UR program and its benefits for students. Comparison of the perspectives of faculty and their students revealed considerable agreement on the nature, range, and extent of students ’ UR gains. Specific student gains relating to the process of “becoming a scientist ” were described and illustrated by both groups. Faculty framed these gains as part of professional socialization into the sciences. In contrast, students emphasized their personal and intellectual development, with little awareness of their socialization into professional practice. Viewing study findings through the lens of social constructi...
Talking about Leaving Revisited
In this chapter, we discuss the scholarly debate about the nature and consequences of losses from... more In this chapter, we discuss the scholarly debate about the nature and consequences of losses from STEM majors. We also offer a summary of findings from the original study, Talking about Leaving: Why Undergraduates Leave the Sciences (Seymour & Hewitt, Talking about leaving: Why undergraduates leave the sciences, Boulder, CO: Westview Press; 1997), which are revisited in findings from the present study throughout this book. The original work was designed to discover, and establish the relative importance of factors contributing to high rates of switching from STEM to non-STEM majors; the current study explores what has and has not changed in the intervening years, what new variables have arisen, and how these contribute to losses from STEM majors. The digest of original findings allows comparison and contrast with findings from the present study. We also review research that has tested and augmented the original findings and explain what prompted the follow-up study. The purposes, design, and conduct of the new study are explained, and the chapter finishes with an overview of the book’s content and structure.
Relative to fields such as medicine and law, women have remained persistently underrepresented in... more Relative to fields such as medicine and law, women have remained persistently underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in higher education. The National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE Program seeks to catalyze systemic and organizational approaches to change that will enhance women’s participation and leadership in STEM. This paper examines the change strategies selected by nineteen institutions that were awarded ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grants in 2001-2004. Our analysis reveals patterns but also significant variation in the range of ways in which strategic approaches are conceptualized and implemented. Future research will examine how these strategies and their variations depend on the institution’s context. Note: This paper has been written based on work conducted through a National Science Foundation Grant (NSF# HRD 0930097). As the authors, while we are grateful for the support to conduct the study, we accept all responsibility for th...
Talking about Leaving Revisited
Our primary aim in revisiting Talking about Leaving (TAL) was to determine whether our sample of ... more Our primary aim in revisiting Talking about Leaving (TAL) was to determine whether our sample of students in STEM majors at the same schools as the original study were prompted to switch from STEM majors by the same concerns as those identified in the 1990s. This chapter describes our overall findings in answer to this question. We compare and contrast the findings of both studies, noting what has changed: what has got better or worse, what new issues have arisen, and how the patterns of concerns relevant to the persistence of women and students of color compare with those expressed two decades ago.
New research findings from a study of scientists participating in educationrelated workshops reve... more New research findings from a study of scientists participating in educationrelated workshops reveal scientists’ needs for professional development that can enhance their EPO work and help to sustain their involvement. (Last revised 9-07.)
Journal of Geoscience Education, 2008
... Research scientists in this study felt unprepared for their current involvement in education ... more ... Research scientists in this study felt unprepared for their current involvement in education ... Universities are examining how to evaluate and reward the “scholarship of engagement” (Boyer ... Liston, C., 2008, Filling a gap in graduate education: Professional preparation in teaching ...
International Journal of STEM Education, 2014
Background: The field of STEM education is increasingly focusing on processes of individual, cult... more Background: The field of STEM education is increasingly focusing on processes of individual, cultural, and organization-level change in postsecondary institutions, yet current approaches tend to focus on individual leverage points isolated from other factors and the broader institutional context. Research on reform implementation highlights how individual decision-making is shaped by a variety of interconnected factors-or what we call 'decision chains'. Organizational learning theory offers a way to conceptualize how these decision chains are implicated in the change process. Organizational learning refers to the processes whereby organizations store information in what is known as the 'organizational memory', how this information is retrieved, and how alterations to these processes can affect organizational. In this paper, we report findings from a qualitative case study of how 24 science and math faculty at a large, public research university in the United States engaged with their organization's memory while planning courses. We also explore how a reform initiative-the Undergraduate Science Education (USE) project-influenced these memory functions. We analyzed semi-structured interviews using a structured approach to grounded theory as well as techniques for graphically depicting verbal data. Results: Results indicate that faculty accessed five repositories of curricular information within the organizational memory: individual memory, cultural norms, social networks and human resources, curricular artifacts, and external archives. When retrieving information from these repositories, faculty primarily 'fine-tuned' existing curricular artifacts (i.e., lecture notes and PowerPoint slides). Analyses of decision chains used by faculty highlight the idiosyncratic manner in which planning unfolds in practice, the centrality of existing artifacts, the role of contextual factors, and the absence of continuous improvement systems. Analyses of the USE project's effects indicate changes to features of the organizational memory. Conclusions: Besides contributing new insights into the nature of organizational learning in higher education, the decision chain method described in this paper can be used to complement existing metrics for program evaluation and to diagnose leverage points for new STEM education change efforts. A potentially useful approach may target curricular artifacts for regular updating and the imposition of continuous improvement systems, while allowing faculty local control over this process.
ACS Symposium Series, 2010
Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 2012
The Journal of Higher Education, 2011
Experiential education has long been emphasized as a part of undergraduate education in the scien... more Experiential education has long been emphasized as a part of undergraduate education in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines (Singer, Hilton, & Schweingruber, 2005), through laboratory and project-based coursework, as well as out-of-class participation in internships, coops , and research. In fact, however, the value of experiential education is largely presumed: evidence from well-designed research and evaluation studies is fairly sparse about the educational value of either course-based lab work (Hofstein & Lunetta, 2004; Nakhleh, Polles, & Malina, 2003) or more in-depth experiential education in STEM. Only recently, for example, have the benefits to students of undergraduate research been explored (for a review of recent literature, see Hunter, Laursen, & Seymour, 2007; Seymour, Hunter, Laursen, & DeAntoni, 2004). The value of internships and other professional opportunities has been even less well demonstrated (Anakwe & Greenhaus, 2000).
Talking about Leaving Revisited, 2019
The contributory causes of switching and relocation were presented in Chap. 3 as a summary of STE... more The contributory causes of switching and relocation were presented in Chap. 3 as a summary of STEM students, overall. However, as described in subsequent chapters, there are variations in what prompts these decisions. Drawing on both interview and institutional records data analysis, in this chapter, we explore reasons why high-performing STEM majors—particularly women—switch to non-STEM fields. We also discuss variations in the processes whereby decisions to switch or relocate are reached, and in the negative personal consequences that switching often involves. Given this patterned variability, we argue that single cause theories about which students are most at risk of switching, and why and how they leave the sciences, cannot be accurate.
The SALG instrument can spotlight those elements in the course that best support student learning... more The SALG instrument can spotlight those elements in the course that best support student learning and those that need improvement. This instrument is a powerful tool, can be easily individualized, provides instant statistical analysis of the results, and facilitates formative evaluation throughout a course. Instructors feel that typical classroom evaluations offer poor feedback, and this dissatisfaction is heightened when these instruments are used for promotion decisions. We've found that questions about how well instructors performed their teaching role and about "the class overall " yield inconclusive results. We believe all of these shortcomings are addressed with the SALG. WHAT IS THE SALG INSTRUMENT? The SALG is a web-based instrument consisting of statements about the degree of "gain " (on a five-point scale) which students perceive they've made in specific aspects of the class. Instructors can add, delete, or edit questions. The instrument is ad...
ABSTRACT: Descriptions of student-identified benefits of undergraduate research expe-riences are ... more ABSTRACT: Descriptions of student-identified benefits of undergraduate research expe-riences are drawn from analysis of 76 first-round student interviews gathered at the end of summer 2000 at four participating liberal arts colleges (Grinnell, Harvey Mudd, Hope, and Wellesley). As part of the interview protocol, students commented on a checklist of possible benefits derived from the literature. They also added gains that were not on this list. Students were overwhelmingly positive: 91 % of all statements referenced gains from their experiences. Few negative, ambivalent, or qualified assessments of their research ex-periences were offered. The benefits described were of seven different kinds. Expressed as percentages of all reported gains, they were personal/professional gains (28%); “thinking and working like a scientist ” (28%); gains in various skills (19%); clarification/confirmation of career plans (including graduate school) (12%); enhanced career/graduate school prepa-ration (...
ABSTRACT: In this ethnographic study of summer undergraduate research (UR) experiences at four li... more ABSTRACT: In this ethnographic study of summer undergraduate research (UR) experiences at four liberal arts colleges, where faculty and students work collaboratively on a project of mutual interest in an apprenticeship of authentic science research work, analysis of the accounts of faculty and student participants yields comparative insights into the structural elements of this form of UR program and its benefits for students. Comparison of the perspectives of faculty and their students revealed considerable agreement on the nature, range, and extent of students ’ UR gains. Specific student gains relating to the process of “becoming a scientist ” were described and illustrated by both groups. Faculty framed these gains as part of professional socialization into the sciences. In contrast, students emphasized their personal and intellectual development, with little awareness of their socialization into professional practice. Viewing study findings through the lens of social constructi...
Talking about Leaving Revisited
In this chapter, we discuss the scholarly debate about the nature and consequences of losses from... more In this chapter, we discuss the scholarly debate about the nature and consequences of losses from STEM majors. We also offer a summary of findings from the original study, Talking about Leaving: Why Undergraduates Leave the Sciences (Seymour & Hewitt, Talking about leaving: Why undergraduates leave the sciences, Boulder, CO: Westview Press; 1997), which are revisited in findings from the present study throughout this book. The original work was designed to discover, and establish the relative importance of factors contributing to high rates of switching from STEM to non-STEM majors; the current study explores what has and has not changed in the intervening years, what new variables have arisen, and how these contribute to losses from STEM majors. The digest of original findings allows comparison and contrast with findings from the present study. We also review research that has tested and augmented the original findings and explain what prompted the follow-up study. The purposes, design, and conduct of the new study are explained, and the chapter finishes with an overview of the book’s content and structure.
Relative to fields such as medicine and law, women have remained persistently underrepresented in... more Relative to fields such as medicine and law, women have remained persistently underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in higher education. The National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE Program seeks to catalyze systemic and organizational approaches to change that will enhance women’s participation and leadership in STEM. This paper examines the change strategies selected by nineteen institutions that were awarded ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grants in 2001-2004. Our analysis reveals patterns but also significant variation in the range of ways in which strategic approaches are conceptualized and implemented. Future research will examine how these strategies and their variations depend on the institution’s context. Note: This paper has been written based on work conducted through a National Science Foundation Grant (NSF# HRD 0930097). As the authors, while we are grateful for the support to conduct the study, we accept all responsibility for th...
Talking about Leaving Revisited
Our primary aim in revisiting Talking about Leaving (TAL) was to determine whether our sample of ... more Our primary aim in revisiting Talking about Leaving (TAL) was to determine whether our sample of students in STEM majors at the same schools as the original study were prompted to switch from STEM majors by the same concerns as those identified in the 1990s. This chapter describes our overall findings in answer to this question. We compare and contrast the findings of both studies, noting what has changed: what has got better or worse, what new issues have arisen, and how the patterns of concerns relevant to the persistence of women and students of color compare with those expressed two decades ago.
New research findings from a study of scientists participating in educationrelated workshops reve... more New research findings from a study of scientists participating in educationrelated workshops reveal scientists’ needs for professional development that can enhance their EPO work and help to sustain their involvement. (Last revised 9-07.)
Journal of Geoscience Education, 2008
... Research scientists in this study felt unprepared for their current involvement in education ... more ... Research scientists in this study felt unprepared for their current involvement in education ... Universities are examining how to evaluate and reward the “scholarship of engagement” (Boyer ... Liston, C., 2008, Filling a gap in graduate education: Professional preparation in teaching ...
International Journal of STEM Education, 2014
Background: The field of STEM education is increasingly focusing on processes of individual, cult... more Background: The field of STEM education is increasingly focusing on processes of individual, cultural, and organization-level change in postsecondary institutions, yet current approaches tend to focus on individual leverage points isolated from other factors and the broader institutional context. Research on reform implementation highlights how individual decision-making is shaped by a variety of interconnected factors-or what we call 'decision chains'. Organizational learning theory offers a way to conceptualize how these decision chains are implicated in the change process. Organizational learning refers to the processes whereby organizations store information in what is known as the 'organizational memory', how this information is retrieved, and how alterations to these processes can affect organizational. In this paper, we report findings from a qualitative case study of how 24 science and math faculty at a large, public research university in the United States engaged with their organization's memory while planning courses. We also explore how a reform initiative-the Undergraduate Science Education (USE) project-influenced these memory functions. We analyzed semi-structured interviews using a structured approach to grounded theory as well as techniques for graphically depicting verbal data. Results: Results indicate that faculty accessed five repositories of curricular information within the organizational memory: individual memory, cultural norms, social networks and human resources, curricular artifacts, and external archives. When retrieving information from these repositories, faculty primarily 'fine-tuned' existing curricular artifacts (i.e., lecture notes and PowerPoint slides). Analyses of decision chains used by faculty highlight the idiosyncratic manner in which planning unfolds in practice, the centrality of existing artifacts, the role of contextual factors, and the absence of continuous improvement systems. Analyses of the USE project's effects indicate changes to features of the organizational memory. Conclusions: Besides contributing new insights into the nature of organizational learning in higher education, the decision chain method described in this paper can be used to complement existing metrics for program evaluation and to diagnose leverage points for new STEM education change efforts. A potentially useful approach may target curricular artifacts for regular updating and the imposition of continuous improvement systems, while allowing faculty local control over this process.
ACS Symposium Series, 2010
Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 2012