Undergraduate STEM Students’ Science Communication Skills, Science Identity, and Science Self-Efficacy Influence Their Motivations and Behaviors in STEM Community Engagement

Murphy, Katlyn; Kelp, Nicole

doi:10.1128/jmbe.00182-22

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Numerous studies have investigated scientists' perspectives on public engagement and its significance in shaping their professional identity [Besley, Dudo, Yuan & Lawrence, 2018]. In one study by Murphy and Kelp [2023] looking at motivations of undergraduate STEM students in community engagement, authors found science communication skills, science identity, and science self-efficacy were all predictors of student motivation and behaviors in STEM engagement with communities outside of academia. However, the authors note that their study population was disproportionately white and female.…”

Section: Stem Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Science communicators from marginalized backgrounds challenge STEM cultural norms to promote community belonging

Valdez-Ward,

Ulrich,

Bennett

et al. 2024

Issue 04, 2024. Special Issue: Science Communication for Social Justice

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In the U.S., navigating STEM with marginalized identities can affect scientists' communication practices. There is a critical need for science communication training that accounts for the historical oppressions, discriminations, and inequities of marginalized communities. In this paper we analyzed 712 participant responses from ReclaimingSTEM science communication workshops to understand how marginalized scientists' identities influence their science communication practices. We found that participants' experiences of exclusion and hostility in STEM spaces influenced their engagement in science communication. Scientists from marginalized backgrounds aim to change the culture of STEM through their communication efforts to promote a sense of belonging for their communities.

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Section: Stem Identitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Science communicators from marginalized backgrounds challenge STEM cultural norms to promote community belonging

Valdez-Ward,

Ulrich,

Bennett

et al. 2024

Issue 04, 2024. Special Issue: Science Communication for Social Justice

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show abstract

“…Since evolutionary theory can present a challenging course of study with students often expressing various misconceptions on the process, further inclusion of evolution education can improve overall knowledge and understanding across disciplines. Recent research indicates that universities should promote student scientific communication training, which could improve undergraduate student skills to lessen miscommunication of public science understanding (Osterhage & Rogers-Carpenter, 2022) and further provide experiential learning scenarios for students following instruction to become involved in community and professional outreach STEM activities (Murphy & Kelp, 2023). This fun, short activity we developed when implemented with other novel teaching strategies which further biological knowledge and science communication in undergraduates may provide a eureka effect for student understanding of the evolutionary importance of fossils.…”

Section: Table 1 Representative Student Responses To Surveymentioning

confidence: 99%

Find a Fossil and “Choose your own Adventure”

Unger,

Rollins

2024

Int. J. Edu. Inno. Res.

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Science education university curriculum should foster transformative methods of teaching and learning for science majors, including science communication. Pedagogical methods for increasing student awareness of paleontological fossils present challenges as fossils are often presented as preserved remains with little visualizations or reconstructions of fossils. As part of increasing scientific literacy and increasing confidence in professional development skills, student presentations can provide an avenue for promoting these necessary skills for biology majors. This study reports on a short multi-week activity whereby students A) selected a fossil to investigate, B) completed a one to two slide presentation on their fossil of choice, and C) presented their fossil overview to their peers in a lecture classroom. Post-activity surveys and reflections indicate that students found this activity engaging, a fun method for learning about a large diversity of fossils important to evolution, and finally, enjoyed selecting their own fossil. Therefore, allowing students to present on fossils and the evolutionary story they each tell may have increased engagement, piqued interest, and enabled students to both learn and focus on taxa of interest to them personally. We recommend science educators incorporate short, low risk presentations as a learning tool in biology courses to “bring fossils alive” and increase engagement among biology students by promoting student science communication.

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“…Science identity should be viewed as malleable and impacted by student experiences and interactions [16]. Importantly, increases in students’ science identity have been linked to a stronger commitment to a science career [17], persistence and retention in the sciences [15, 18], as well as increases in student motivation and community engagement [19]. Conversely, identity mismatch, whereby students experience uncertainty about how they fit in an academic environment, can result in withdrawal from academic pursuits and opportunities [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Student experiences with an interactive 3D immersive biotechnology simulation and its impact on motivational beliefs

Spencer,

McKeown,

Tredwell

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The development and use of virtual laboratories to augment traditional in-person skills training continues to grow. Virtual labs have been implemented in a number of diverse educational settings, which have many purported benefits including their adaptability accessibility and repeatability. However few studies have evaluated the impact of virtual laboratories outside of academic achievement and skills competencies especially in biotechnology. In this study an interdisciplinary team of content experts video game researchers instructional designers and assessment experts developed a 3D immersive simulation designed to teach novice scientists the technical skills necessary to perform sterile mammalian cell culture technique. Unique to the simulation development process is the recreation of an immersive experience through the capture of details in the real-world lab where participants have the freedom of choice in their actions while receiving immediate feedback on their technical skills as well as procedural execution. However unlike an in-person laboratory course students are able to iterate and practice their skills outside of class time and learn from their mistakes. Using a mixed-methods study design over the course of two semesters we evaluated student attitudes of the simulation and their science motivational beliefs including self-efficacy and science identity after engaging with the simulation prior to the physical laboratory. Our results show that students science identity remained unchanged while their science self-efficacy increased. Furthermore students had positive perceptions of the benefits of the virtual simulation. These data suggest that the virtual cell culture simulation can be a useful pedagogical training tool to bolster students motivational beliefs that is both accessible and easy to implement.

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Undergraduate STEM Students’ Science Communication Skills, Science Identity, and Science Self-Efficacy Influence Their Motivations and Behaviors in STEM Community Engagement

Cited by 12 publications

References 51 publications

Science communicators from marginalized backgrounds challenge STEM cultural norms to promote community belonging

Science communicators from marginalized backgrounds challenge STEM cultural norms to promote community belonging

Find a Fossil and “Choose your own Adventure”

Student experiences with an interactive 3D immersive biotechnology simulation and its impact on motivational beliefs

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