Students’ Emotions, Perceived Coping, and Outcomes in Response to Research-Based Challenges and Failures in Two Sequential CUREs

Corwin, Lisa A.; Ramsey, Michael E.; Vance, Eric A.; Woolner, Elizabeth; Maiden, Stevie; Gustafson, Nina; Harsh, Joseph A.

doi:10.1187/cbe.21-05-0131

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…This ability to collaborate within a group and between groups helped bring multiple minds together to address obstacles encountered by individuals, groups, and the overall research project. Exposure to potential failure with research is simultaneously a goal of the CURE and a potential obstacle. , The faculty in this study kept the students motivated with positive reinforcement and reassurance that evaluation was based on participation in the process, not the results.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences as a Community of Practice (CoP)

et al. 2023

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Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) are a pedagogical model where a traditional undergraduate course is transformed into a research-intensive course, offering an alternative pathway to research for undergraduate students. Given the novel learning context of CUREs, there is a need to understand the learning that occurs and the impact of social interactions on students in defining and managing the socially negotiated understandings and practices of the science research laboratory. This manuscript reports the findings from a qualitative study of students enrolled in a CURE sequence that bridged a lower-division organic chemistry laboratory with an upper-division quantitative analysis laboratory. Communities of practice are groups of people who share a common objective or seek to address a common problem, characterized by three elements, domain, community, and practice. The design elements identified for CUREs, research practices, discovery, relevance, collaboration, and iteration, can be aligned with the three elements of CoP to provide a lens to make sense of the learning that occurs in this novel context. Focus groups consisting of 3−5 students each were conducted with students participating in two cohorts (N = 65) of the CURE sequence during the last week of the academic term. In addition, semistructured interviews were conducted with CURE faculty. Thematic analysis of the interview data derived three themes: working toward a common goal, addressing obstacles, and developing a deeper understanding of the science content. The alignment of the themes with the Lave and Wenger's Community of Practice (CoP) Framework is described and provides the basis for applying CoP to research on CUREs.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Exposure to potential failure with research is simultaneously a goal of the CURE and a potential obstacle. 12,41 The faculty in this study kept the students motivated with positive reinforcement and reassurance that evaluation was based on participation in the process, not the results.…”

Section: ■ Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences as a Community of Practice (CoP)

et al. 2023

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“…This may be an indication that CURE GTAs, like inquiry GTAs, have difficulty in providing space for students to learn through struggle [ 67 ]. Recent work has found that experiences of “failure” and challenges in a CURE can be beneficial, and can increase student buy-in, resiliency in navigating obstacles, and understanding of the nature of science [ 20 , 68 , 69 ]. Yet, these studies on the benefits of failure and facing challenges during a CURE all highlighted the importance of psychosocial support from the instructor in order to help students understand and learn from these experiences[ 20 , 68 , 69 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent work has found that experiences of “failure” and challenges in a CURE can be beneficial, and can increase student buy-in, resiliency in navigating obstacles, and understanding of the nature of science [ 20 , 68 , 69 ]. Yet, these studies on the benefits of failure and facing challenges during a CURE all highlighted the importance of psychosocial support from the instructor in order to help students understand and learn from these experiences[ 20 , 68 , 69 ]. Further, instructor actions and dispositions are thought to be a key part to supporting students to develop adaptive coping behaviors in response to the challenges and failures they encounter in their learning environments[ 70 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Not the same CURE: Student experiences in course-based undergraduate research experiences vary by graduate teaching assistant

2022

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To expose all undergraduate science students to the benefits of participating in research, many universities are integrating course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) into their introductory biology laboratory curriculum. At large institutions, the bulk of introductory labs are instructed by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). Graduate students, who are often teachers and researchers in training, may vary in their capacity to effectively teach undergraduates via the CURE model. To explore variation in GTA teaching and the subsequent outcomes for students, we used a case study research design at one institution where introductory biology students participate in GTA-taught CURE lab sections. We used multiple data sources, including in-class focus groups, worksheets, and surveys to explore student perceptions of the GTA-led CURE. Students perceived variation both in the ability of their GTAs to create a supportive and comfortable learning environment, and in the instructional priorities of their GTAs. We also compared student and GTA perspectives of student engagement with research elements in the CURE. While GTAs were divided in their perceptions of whether the CURE provided students with the opportunity to experience the element of relevant discovery, most students—regardless of their GTA—did not perceive that relevant discovery was emphasized in the CURE. Finally, individual GTAs seemed to influence how students perceived why they were participating in the CURE. These data imply that students in CUREs may have vastly different and potentially inequitable research experiences depending on their instructor.

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“…Also, relevant to promoting newcomer engagement is coping with the experiences of failure and frustration that are inherent to authentic inquiry (Corwin et al, 2022; Goodwin et al, 2021). The way a mentor supports a learner through the emotional aspects of scientific inquiry may influence a learner's motivation to persist through these challenges (Pfund et al, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Classroom‐Research‐Mentoring Framework: A lens for understanding science practice‐based instruction

Cooper,

Bolger

2023

Science Education

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Reformed science curricula provide opportunities for students to engage with authentic science practices. However, teacher implementation of such curricula requires teachers to consider their role in the classroom, including realigning instructional decisions with the epistemic aims of science. Guiding newcomers in science can take place in settings ranging from the classroom to the undergraduate research laboratory. We suggest thinking about the potential intersections of guiding students across these contexts is important. We describe the Classroom‐Research‐Mentoring (CRM) Framework as a novel lens for examining science practice‐based instruction. We present a comparative case study of two teachers as they instruct undergraduate students in a model‐based inquiry laboratory. We analyzed stimulated‐recall episodes uncovering how these teachers interacted with their students and the rationale behind their instructional choices. Through the application of the CRM Framework, we revealed ways teachers can have instructional goals that align with those of a research mentor. For example, our teachers had the goals of “creating an inclusive environment open to student ideas,” “acknowledging students as scientists,” and “focusing students on skills and ideas needed to solve biological problems.” We suggest three functions of research mentoring that translate across the classroom and research laboratory settings: (1) build a shared understanding of epistemic aims, (2) support learners in the productive use of science practices, and (3) motivate learner engagement in science practices.

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Students’ Emotions, Perceived Coping, and Outcomes in Response to Research-Based Challenges and Failures in Two Sequential CUREs

Cited by 7 publications

References 79 publications

Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences as a Community of Practice (CoP)

Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences as a Community of Practice (CoP)

Not the same CURE: Student experiences in course-based undergraduate research experiences vary by graduate teaching assistant

The Classroom‐Research‐Mentoring Framework: A lens for understanding science practice‐based instruction

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