Engaging in science practices in classrooms predicts increases in undergraduates' STEM motivation, identity, and achievement: A short‐term longitudinal study

Abstract

Our short‐term longitudinal study explored undergraduate students' experiences with performing authentic science practices in the classroom in relation to their science achievement and course grades. In addition, classroom experiences (felt recognition as a scientist and perceived classroom climate) and changes over a 10‐week academic term in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) identity and motivation were tested as mediators. The sample comprised 1,079 undergraduate students from introductory biology classrooms (65.4% women, 37.6% Asian, 30.2% White, 25.1% Latinx). Using structural equation modeling (SEM), our hypothesized model was confirmed while controlling for class size and GPA. Performing science practices (e.g., hypothesizing or explaining results) positively predicted students' felt recognition as a scientist; and felt recognition positively predicted perceived classroom climate. In turn, felt recognition and classroom climate predicted increases over time in students' STEM motivation (expectancy‐value beliefs), STEM identity, and STEM career aspirations. Finally, these factors predicted students' course grade. Both recognition as a scientist and positive classroom climate were more strongly related to outcomes among underrepresented minority (URM) students. Findings have implications for why large‐format courses that emphasize opportunities for students to learn science practices are related to positive STEM outcomes, as well as why they may prove especially helpful for URM students. Practical implications include the importance of recognition as a scientist from professors, teaching assistants, and classmates in addition to curriculum that engages students in the authentic practices of science.

Impact of Integrating Science and Engineering Teaching Approach on Students Achievement: A Meta Analysis

“…This suggests that SE integration has a major effect on students' achievement. This outcome is aligned with the findings of previous studies which stated that the integration of SE enhanced students' achievement in science subjects (Brown, 2017;Foster et al, 2013;Starr et al, 2020).…”

How Field Courses Propel Inclusion and Collective Excellence

“…Second, through hands-on scientific experiences, field courses boost students' confidence in their professional abilities, ranging from experimental design and research methods to natural history skills like species identification [4]. These gains in self-efficacy and science identity can be particularly significant for students who begin with lower confidence in their skills, including URM students [4,8]. Finally, an area of competence especially linked to belonging in ecology and evolution and interest in graduate studies is a student's degree of comfort outdoors [6].…”

“…Comfort outdoors -field work, living skills [6] • Explicitly teach, model outdoor skills • Provide supported experience living, working outdoors Role modelsof any identity, of same identity [6] • Have staff, instructors travel, work, eat with students • Have 1:1 mentoring (as well as instructional) interactions • Hire a diverse staff Communal goals/ service to society [6] • Focus on cooperative problem solving • Practice varied leadership skills • Use student-led inquiry to facilitate discovery • Explore EEB links to stewardship of nature, education, environmental quality and health Science identityrecognition by self, others as scientist [8] Provide scientific ownership through authentic research experiences such as original hypothesis generation, experimental design, using evidence to explain findings.…”

“… Self-efficacy – confidence in science skills, competence [ 4 , 15 ] Facilitate research design by students, participation Teach and provide experience in specific science skills like data collection and analysis using field tools, species identification, making and recording observations, and communicating findings Recognize student contributions to science. Comfort outdoors – field work, living skills [ 6 ] Explicitly teach, model outdoor skills Provide supported experience living, working outdoors Role models – of any identity, of same identity [ 6 ] Have staff, instructors travel, work, eat with students Have 1:1 mentoring (as well as instructional) interactions Hire a diverse staff Communal goals/ service to society [ 6 ] Focus on cooperative problem solving Practice varied leadership skills Use student-led inquiry to facilitate discovery Explore EEB links to stewardship of nature, education, environmental quality and health Science identity – recognition by self, others as scientist [ 8 ] Provide scientific ownership through authentic research experiences such as original hypothesis generation, experimental design, using evidence to explain findings. …”

Characterizing college science instruction: The Three-Dimensional Learning Observation Protocol

“…Such knowledge is contextualized, connected, and useful, rather than a collection of facts, ideas, and calculations that are disconnected from scientific ideas. Although written for a K-12 context, the Framework's vision can and should be used as a guide to restructuring science curricula in higher education [9,[13][14][15][16]20,21]. In addition, implementing 3DL in college science courses provides opportunities to build coherently upon students' prior science learning.…”