ERIC Number: EJ1424228
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Apr
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1935-7877
EISSN: EISSN-1935-7885
Available Date: N/A
Upper-Level Inter-Disciplinary Microbiology CUREs Increase Students' Scientific Self-Efficacy, Scientific Identity, and Self-Assessed Skills
Grace I. Borlee; Traci Kinkel; Bettina Broeckling; Bradley R. Borlee; Christie Mayo; Carolina Mehaffy
Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, v25 n1 2024
Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide opportunities for undergraduate students to engage in authentic research and generally increase the participation rate of students in research. Students' participation in research has a positive impact on their science identity and self-efficacy, both of which can predict integration of students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), especially for underrepresented students. The main goal of this study was to investigate instructor-initiated CUREs implemented as upper-level elective courses in the Biomedical Sciences major. We hypothesized that these CUREs would (i) have a positive impact on students' scientific identity and self-efficacy and (ii) result in gains in students' self-assessed skills in laboratory science, research, and science communication. We used Likert-type surveys developed by Estrada et al. (14) under the Tripartite Integration Model of Social Influence to measure scientific identity, self-efficacy, and scientific value orientation. When data from all CUREs were combined, our results indicate that students' self-efficacy and science identity significantly increased after completion. Students' self-assessment of research and lab-related skills was significantly higher after completion of the CUREs. We also observed that prior to participation in the CUREs, students' self-assessment of molecular and bioinformatic skills was low, when compared with microbiological skills. This may indicate strengths and gaps in our curriculum that could be explored further.
Descriptors: Undergraduate Students, Microbiology, Science Instruction, Comparative Analysis, Self Concept, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Molecular Biology, Research Training, Student Attitudes, Student Participation, Laboratory Experiments, Social Influences, Biomedicine, Majors (Students), College Faculty, Prediction, Student Characteristics, Advanced Courses, Interdisciplinary Approach, Outcomes of Education
American Society for Microbiology. 1752 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 202-737-3600; e-mail: journals@asmusa.org; Web site: https://journals.asm.org/journal/jmbe
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A