Undergraduate research experiences: qualitative results from a multi-year survey (original) (raw)
2000, 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings
We identify and discuss themes that emerged from a study of undergraduates participating in a summer research program at Michigan State University. The goals of this study were: (1) to examine the degree to which program participation diverted students from summer activities that did not further their academic or career goals; (2) to better understand students’ goals for participating in research; and (3) to assess student satisfaction with the research program. Students were asked to complete pre- and post-experience surveys; these two survey instruments were deployed during multiple summer programs over a four-year time period (2011-2014), resulting in four sets of pre- and post-survey data from more than 300 students. Student responses to short-answer survey questions were analyzed using a web-based application for mixed methods research. 31% of respondents indicated that the research program diverted them from a summer job or other plans that were not aligned with their academic or career goals, and respondents consistently cited the faculty-mentored research experience as highly valuable.
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