Undergraduate Research at a Teaching-Oriented College: Seniors’ Perspectives and Approaches to Consider

Abstract

This study examines the relationship of undergraduate research (UGR) participation on senior students’ reported engagement, perceived gains, satisfaction with their educational experience and retention, and graduation status compared to peers that have not participated in UGR. Data were drawn from 1,472 senior students at a comprehensive, teaching-oriented public college, and collected from administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) from 2015 to 2019, along with institutional data. This examination uniquely investigates outcomes of UGR participation besides persistence and graduation (which are already well documented) and leverages the lens of senior students in particular. In addition, this study contributes to the literature on UGR at teaching-oriented colleges, which has been sparse most likely because there are many more opportunities for UGR at research institutions. In line with several conceptual frameworks of student engagement, data analysis revealed that relative to their peers who have not participated in UGR, UGR-participating students have higher levels of engagement, perceived gains, and overall satisfaction. UGR-participating students also continued enrollment and/or graduated at a higher rate after reaching their senior status compared to non-participating peers. The implications for teaching-oriented colleges, as well as suggestions for how these institutions can enhance their undergraduate research programming, are discussed.

Unlocking Undergraduate Student Success: A Study of High-Impact Practices in a Comprehensive and Diverse College

“…Although teaching-focused in nature, the Institution strategically creates a culturally engaging environment and offers curricular and co-curricular opportunities for students to conduct research projects with faculty and closely interact with faculty and their fellow peers. This practice was found to be a powerful way of enhancing senior students' persistence or graduation (Cresiski et al, 2021;Museus, 2014).…”

“…Although varied from campus to campus, HIPs include but are not limited to first-year seminars and experiences, learning communities, undergraduate research, study abroad, internships, community-based or service learning, and senior capstone courses (Kuh, 2008). Research has revealed that HIPs are promising approaches to engaging college students in educationally purposeful activities that extend beyond the traditional college classroom and have been linked to a range of desired student outcomes (Cresiski et al, 2021;McDaniel & Van Jura, 2022;Provencher & Kassel, 2019;Zilvinskis, 2019). HIPs can also provide opportunities for interdisciplinarity, a growing trend among colleges and universities to enhance innovation and reduce traditional boundaries that divide academics into silos (Holley, 2009;Summers et al, 2016).…”