Undergraduate Research Experiences Support Science Career Decisions and Active Learning (original) (raw)
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2004
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 (...
Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE): First Findings
Cell Biology Education, 2004
In this study, I examined the hypothesis that undergraduate research enhances the educational experience of science undergraduates, attracts and retains talented students to careers in science, and acts as a pathway for minority students into science careers. Undergraduates from 41 institutions participated in an online survey on the benefits of undergraduate research experiences. Participants indicated gains on 20 potential benefits and reported on career plans. Over 83% of 1,135 participants began or continued to plan for postgraduate education in the sciences. A group of 51 students who discontinued their plans for postgraduate science education reported significantly lower gains than continuing students. Women and men reported similar levels of benefits and similar patterns of career plans. Ethnic groups did not significantly differ in reported levels of benefits or plans to continue with postgraduate education.
Science Education, 2004
Descriptions of student-identified benefits of undergraduate research experiences 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 experiences 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 preparation (9%); shifts in attitudes to learning and working as a researcher (4%); and other benefits (1%).
Undergraduate Research Experiences Broaden Diversity in the Scientific Workforce
BioScience
New data highlight the importance of undergraduate research experiences (UREs) for keeping underrepresented science students on the pathway to a scientific career. We used a large-scale, 10-year, longitudinal, multi-institutional, propensity-score-matched research design to compare the academic performance and persistence in science of students who participated in URE(s) with those of similar students who had no research experience. Our results showed that students who completed 10 or more hours of cocurricular, faculty-mentored research per week across two or more academic semesters or summers were significantly more likely to graduate with a science-related bachelor's degree, to be accepted into a science-related graduate training program, and to be training for or working in the scientific workforce 6 years after graduation. Importantly, the findings show that just having a URE was not enough to influence persistence in science; it required a commitment of 10 or more hours per week over two or more semesters of faculty-mentored research.
The Journal of Higher Education, 2011
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).
2012
This paper explores the benefits that undergraduate science students perceive as a result of participating in an undergraduate research experience (URE) and explores the possible influences that UREs have on the future career directions of students. Authentic undergraduate research experiences in science play an important role in providing context to student learning and providing a sense of being a 'scientist'. There has been, however, some concern over the validity of the claims made relating to the extent of the impact that research experiences have on undergraduate students. This paper focuses on a new Summer Research Scholarship experience and reports on some of the findings from a 2008/2009 pilot study that investigated student perceptions of their undergraduate research experiences as 2 nd year students studying within science.
Assessing Science Training Programs: Structured Undergraduate Research Programs Make a Difference
BioScience, 2018
Training in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is a top priority for driving economic growth and maintaining technological competitiveness. We propose that exposure to a rigorous research program as an undergraduate leads to success in a research STEM career. We compared the scientific outcomes of 88 participants from five National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site programs with demographically similar applicants to assess the impact that formal, organized, and funded undergraduate summer research experiences have on participants. Our study demonstrates that REU participants are more likely to pursue a PhD program and generate significantly more valued products, including presentations, publications, and awards, when compared with applicants. We believe that key components of the program include funding for personal and professional needs; access to diverse intellectual, analytical, and field resources; and the presence of other undergraduate researchers who support each other and share their goals and interests.
Science Education, 2007
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 constructivist learning theories demonstrates that the characteristics of these UR programs, how faculty practice UR in these colleges, and students' outcomes-including cognitive and personal growth and the development of a professional identity-strongly exemplify many facets of these theories, particularly, student-centered and situated learning as part of cognitive apprenticeship in a community of practice.
2019
Since 2013, Mississippi State University has been offering research experiences for undergraduates through formal programs which pair high-performing students in collaborative research with faculty mentors. The purpose of these programs is to provide students with the opportunity to enhance scholarly activity, participate in the discovery of new knowledge, and become a part of the scientific community. We tested the hypotheses that undergraduate research improves student participants’ educational experience (including personal and professional development), enhances retention of talented students in science careers, and leads to discovery of new information that contributes to the larger body of knowledge, while also looking at faculty motivations, benefits, and challenges they face in mentoring an undergraduate. Preliminary data from surveys of past program participants indicate improved discipline-specific knowledge, greater understanding of the scientific process, and enhanced in...