Academic factors that affect undergraduate research experiences.

Abstract

Undergraduate research expedences are considered an essential component in college curricula, and there is an ideological push to provide these experiences to all students. However, it is not clear whether engagement in research is better suited for higher ability undergraduates late in their programs or for all undergraduates and whether benefits vary according to gender and major discipline. This study applied an assessment instrument, the Undergraduate Research Questionnaire (URQ), which measures cognitive factors associated with benefits from doing research, to a broad sample of undergraduates at a large public research university. Additionally, behavioral and demographic data were collected. Significant predictors of URQ factors were grade-point average (GPA), college credits, lab course credits, gender, major discipline, and the frequency of faculty and peer meetings. Men achieved higher URQ scores than women. Students with below-average GPAs and students with average or below-average participation in research showed a decline in research benefits as they moved through their college years. Gains from research vaded by major discipline. Overall, these findings show that all students do not benefit from doing research and that the means to achieving the ideological goal of involving all students in research may vary across disciplines. There is a need for more attention to student differences as they apply to research participation, including academic ability, gender, and college level, and to the academic resources and practices that more inclusively and effectively involve students in research.

Teaching Undergraduate Research in Human Development and Family Studies: Piloting a Collaborative Method

“…Many colleges and universities support increasing undergraduate students' exposure to the research process (Behar-Horenstein & Johnson, 2010;Taraban & Logue, 2012). One argument for increased undergraduate research exposure is that greater understanding of research can contribute to enhanced problem solving, communication, intellectual curiosity, and future confidence.…”

“…One argument for increased undergraduate research exposure is that greater understanding of research can contribute to enhanced problem solving, communication, intellectual curiosity, and future confidence. Moreover, knowledge of the research process can positively influence participating undergraduates' later contributions to their disciplines and society (Taraban & Logue, 2012). The nature of undergraduate research experiences varies across and within disciplines (Halstead, 1997) and ranges from understanding and evaluating research findings to conducting and presenting novel research.…”

Attending to Scientific Practices within Undergraduate Research Experiences

“…But across a variety of methodological approaches, including surveys [1][2] and ethnographic studies [3][4], most studies on UREs have focused on whether students develop individual skills (e.g. lab techniques, reading, presenting, etc.…”

“…), engage in particular tasks, or develop specific productive beliefs. These studies typically characterize experiences as more positive when students engage in more of these isolated outcomes [1][2][3][4].…”

Access to undergraduate research experiences at a large research university

“…Student benefits include improved technical skills, a deeper understanding of the nature of science, and a stronger sense of identity as a scientist [1][2][3][4]. Benefits to research mentors include improved intellectual maturity [5].…”