本科生学术志趣

Abstract Academic performance is important for students as a result of educational experience in colleges to represent knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Academic performance becomes one of the key factors in determining students’ success in their future careers. This research aimed to assess student’s academic interest, learning attitude, and learning quality as well as control variables for the academic performance improvement of undergraduate students in Indonesia. This research employed a cross-section survey design to 872 samples gained by disproportionate random sampling. The research instruments were tested for their validity and reliability. The multinomial logit regression model was employed to analyze academic performance. The results of the research showed that academic interest was proved to determine significantly the academic performance. However, the learning attitude and learning quality did not contribute to the student’s academic performance. High academic interest students possessed a bigger chance to have better academic performance. Meanwhile, learning attitude and learning quality indicated otherwise, decrease the students’ academic performance. The results of this study contributed to the universities’ management to manage innovative and learning activities to promote accounting students’ academic interest in continuing better learning. The universities’ leaders should fulfill the infrastructure and learning facilities needed by lecturers to maintain learning quality.

Using an established global academic interest scale, academic interest dimensions of undergraduate (n = 326) and graduate (n = 401) students were compared. The four-factor structure, consisting of passion for learning, confidence in the future, career aspiration, and self-expression, held for both student groups. However, the item scores and mean factor scores as well as the pattern of factor correlations differed between the two groups. While the sample of graduate students exhibited greater levels of passion for learning, the undergraduate students showed higher levels of confidence in the future. Overall, a broad range of correlates of academic interest employed in this study provided construct validity evidence of academic interest, supporting the main tenants of the motivational theory of life-span development. Limitations and directions for future work are discussed.

Academic engagement was recognized as a crucial predictor to measure the effectiveness of online teaching of international students. Therefore, this study established a mediating model to explore the mechanism underlying of interaction and information technology accessibility on academic engagement of international students, as well as the impact of learning interest on these mechanisms with the context of online teaching. Using a stratified random sampling method, 1895 international students from 32 Chinese universities were selected. These international students had completed the academic engagement scale, interaction scale, information technology accessibility scale, and learning interest scale. The study variables were analyzed in sequence for reliability and validity, common method biases test, correlation analysis, structural equation model testing, and bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap testing. The results revealed that online interaction positively affected the academic engagement of international students in Chinese universities (β= 0.35, p < 0.001), and learning interest played a partial mediating role between online interaction and academic engagement (indirect effect = 0.10, 95 % Boot CI = [0.06, 0.13], p < 0.001). Information technology accessibility did not have a direct impact on academic engagement (β= 0.06, p > 0.05); but learning interest played a complete mediating role between information technology accessibility and academic engagement (indirect effect = 0.09, 95 % Boot CI = [0.05, 0.11], p < 0.001). The results of Bootstrap showed that the mediating effects within the model were significant. The findings of this study explored the potential mechanism underlying the online academic engagement of international students in Chinese universities, and provided empirical evidence for universities and educators to implement differentiated learning support, assist international students in adapting to online learning styles, and stimulate the endogenous motivation of students' learning.

Abstract We investigated psychological dimensions of academic interest among undergraduate students (N = 325) using a global academic interest scale. The scale was administered together with measures of academic performance, educational aspiration, career planning, goal setting, life satisfaction, attitudes towards leisure, personality and value. Exploratory factor analyses revealed four dimensions of academic interest: passion for learning, confidence in the future, career aspiration and self-expression. All four dimensions were significantly related to career planning, goal setting and life satisfaction. On the other hand, specific pairings of significant relationships were found between different dimensions of academic interest and personality and value, suggesting that students with different personalities and different sets of values are likely to appreciate and respond to different aspects of academic interest. We conclude with implications for research on academic interest development across a more diverse range of age groups.

This study aimed to determine to what extent undergraduate students’ level of academic career awareness and demographic variables predicted their level of academic career interest. The sample consisted of 3,696 students studying at 16 faculties, who were 3rdand 4th-year undergraduate students from Akdeniz University in the fall semester of 2019–2020, and where the necessary permissions could be obtained from the faculty deanships for the application of the scales. The Academic Career Awareness Scale and Academic Career Interest Scale were used as data collection tools. The results obtained from the study were as follows: the level of undergraduate students’ academic career awareness was low and their level of academic career interest was above average. It was determined that the level of academic career interest of the undergraduate students changed according to their gender, grade level and their level of academic career awareness. When the demographic variables were measured, the level of academic career awareness explained the level of academic career interest. According to this result, it could be said that undergraduate students should have knowledge about academic career in order to be interested in an academic career.

Research examining the effects of academic interest on students learning achievement across various disciplines, especially a comparison of the effects of academic interest between medical sciences and other disciplines, is still scarce. This study addressed this gap by answering ‘does academic interest play a more important role in medical sciences than in other disciplines?’. A retrospective cross-sectional study, based on a large project of the National Undergraduate Student Development Survey (NUSDS) conducted by the Ministry of Education of China and Peking University in 2014, was designed to explore the role of academic interest in medical sciences and other disciplines. The participants were resampled to better represent the national distribution of undergraduate students in terms of their demographic characteristics. Specifically, survey data from 54,398 undergraduate students from 87 Chinese universities and colleges were used to address our research questions. We then used the propensity score matching (PSM) model to estimate the effect of academic interest on academic achievement and to compare the effects across different disciplines. Academic interest had a significant positive impact on academic performance, with an effect size of 2.545 (p = 0.000). Specifically, the effect sizes for the disciplines of medical sciences, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering were 2.310 (p = 0.000), 2.231 (p = 0.000), 2.016 (p = 0.000), 3.840 (p = 0.000) and 2.698 (p = 0.000), respectively. The results show that no particular academic interest in medical sciences is needed to achieve academic success when compared with natural sciences and engineering programmes, but success in medical sciences requires more academic interest than success in humanities or social sciences. This study clarifies the effect of academic interest on undergraduates’ academic achievement while controlling for their demographic characteristics and family factors. The results provide insights into the role of academic interest in academic performance across various disciplines and can inform the college admissions practices of both institutions and high school students in China.

According to situated expectancy-value models, motivational variables play an important role in students’ engagement in academic mathematics courses and achievement. However, for academic mathematical learning, only a few studies provide information regarding the fluctuation of task values on different occasions (situation-specificity, state) and the extent to which task values depend on individual characteristics (personal-specificity, trait). Thus, answering these questions provides information about the extent to which adequate situational characteristics, such as relevance interventions, can influence students’ motivation to engage in the learning process. To contribute to this discussion of the situation- and personal-specificity of task values, I surveyed 181 undergraduate students attending an advanced mathematics course. These students reported on their task values and effort three times in four different lessons during a course in linear algebra. I focused on the following three questions: (1) situation-specificity: to what extent do task values fluctuate between situations (and between persons)? (2) predictions of task values: to what extent do personal characteristics and situational perceptions predict task values? (3) predictions of effort: to what extent do personal characteristics and situational perceptions predict effort? These questions were answered by applying linear mixed models. The analysis results indicate that task values fluctuate only slightly in different situations and are strongly predicted by individual characteristics, such as interest in university mathematics, and task values predict effort. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

Learning interest has been found to have insignificant and significant relationships with academic performance among students. This study aims to examine the association between learning interest and academic achievement among undergraduate students who underwent a Hybrid-flexible (HyFlex) course which was designed and implemented based on the interest loop of Interest-driven Creator (IDC) theory. In the HyFlex learning setting, students had the autonomy to learn physically, online synchronously, or online asynchronously for each class session. 48 undergraduate students from the faculty of education at a public university in Malaysia participated in this study. Pearson correlation analysis shows a significant positive correlation between learning interest and academic performance. A simple linear regression analysis found that learning interest contributed significantly to academic performance. This implies that the integration of the IDC theory into HyFlex learning could have the potential to foster interest and enhance performance among undergraduate students. However, the small effect size of learning interest indicates that while it is pertinent to cultivate learning interest among learners, academic achievement could be affected by other factors beyond interest.

Undergraduate research plays an important role in the development of science students. The two most common forms of undergraduate research are those in traditional settings (such as internships and research-for-credit in academic research labs) and course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). ABSTRACT Undergraduate research plays an important role in the development of science students. The two most common forms of undergraduate research are those in traditional settings (such as internships and research-for-credit in academic research labs) and course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). Both of these settings offer many benefits to students, yet they have unique strengths and weaknesses that lead to trade-offs. Traditional undergraduate research experiences (UREs) offer the benefits of personalized mentorship and experience in a professional setting, which help build students’ professional communication skills, interest, and scientific identity. However, UREs can reach only a limited number of students. On the other end of the trade-off, CUREs offer research authenticity in a many-to-one classroom research environment that reaches more students. CUREs provide real research experience in a collaborative context, but CUREs are not yet necessarily equipping students with all of the experiences needed to transition into a research lab environment outside the classroom. We propose that CURE instructors can bridge trade-offs between UREs and CUREs by deliberately including learning goals and activities in CUREs that recreate the benefits of UREs, specifically in the areas of professional communication, scientific identify, and student interest. To help instructors implement this approach, we provide experience- and evidence-based guidance for student-centered, collaborative learning opportunities.

Objectives To investigate the relationship between mental health issues and medical career interest among undergraduate premedical students, and to explore whether this association varies by gender. Methods A longitudinal survey of freshman and sophomore premedical students at Indiana University was conducted during the 2015-16 academic year. Survey data were collected from 390 respondents via an online questionnaire (response rate=14%) in September 2015, and 292 of these respondents participated in the follow-up survey in April 2016 (retention rate=75%). Multi-level regression models were used to estimate the associations among depressive symptoms, burnout, and medical career interest. Results Respondents who experienced more depressive symptoms (ß = -.07, z =-2.49, p =.013) and higher levels of burnout (ß = -.50, z =-3.98, p <.001) reported significant reductions in medical career interest over the study period. These associations remained consistent after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics and prior academic achievement. Depressive symptoms were associated with steeper declines in medical career interest among women compared to men (ß = -.09, z =-2.01, p =.045), though the relationship between burnout and medical career interest did not significantly vary by gender. Conclusions Results provide evidence that premeds who experience more depressive symptoms and higher levels of burnout become less interested in entering the medical profession. The negative association between depressive symptoms and medical career interest was even more pronounced among premedical women compared to men. Findings suggest that colleges and universities in the United States should implement programs aimed at safeguarding the mental health of premedical students.

INTRODUCTION This study evaluated the level of grit and its association with academic achievement among pharmacy undergraduate students in Malaysia. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a public university in Malaysia. Data were collected using an electronic, validated, pre-tested modified version of the short Grit scale between December 2019 and January 2020. Correlation between grit and self-reported cumulative grade point average (CGPA) was examined. RESULTS Of 444 students invited to participate, 247 completed the questionnaire (response rate 55.6%). Mean age was 21.4 ± 1.5 years, and 70.6% were female. The mean grit score was 3.1 ± 0.4 (out of 5.0). Students had higher scores in the perseverance of effort subscale (3.3 ± 0.7) than the consistency of interest subscale (2.9 ± 0.5). Students with self-reported CGPAs ≥3.50 had higher mean grit (3.3 ± 0.4) than those with CGPAs of 3.00 to 3.49 (3.0 ± 0.4) and < 3.00 (3.1 ± 0.4) (P = .007). There was a significant correlation between self-reported CGPA with consistency of interest score (r = 0.139; P = .03) and mean grit score (r = 0.153; P = .02). There was no association between CGPA and the perseverance of effort score. CONCLUSIONS Pharmacy undergraduate students in Malaysia have a moderate level of grit. Academic achievement (CGPA ≥3.50) was significantly associated with consistency of interest and grit scores. Pharmacy educators should counsel students who experience academic setbacks on the importance of maintaining interest and sustaining efforts to improve their academic achievements.

It has been not easy to recruit postgraduate students from graduates of health professionals programmes in Hong Kong.  Recent studies show that Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURE) not only promote students’ acquisition of research abilities and collaboration skills, but also changes in their career choices and attitude. In this study, we attempted to offer CUREs to students of Medical Laboratory Science programme in our institute as extra-curricular activities to arouse their interest in scientific investigations.  They participated to learn research methods, laboratory techniques and get hands-on research experience.  The outcomes were evaluated with the CUREs Survey developed by Prof. David Lopatto of Grinnell College and focus group discussion.  Results of CUREs survey reveal students obtaining positive gains from the CUREs programme with the relevant learning experience.  Similar to previous studies, CUREs participants develop content knowledge, confidence, skills in research and confirm their interest in pursuing science-research related educational or career paths.

Student participation in course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) leads to improved academic performance and increased intent to persist in STEM, especially when compared to traditional lecture courses with standard assignments. Despite the benefits of CUREs, less is known about a student's week-by-week experiences in CUREs and how specific CURE course features contribute to student development toward learning outcomes. Previous research found that students' levels of frustration in CURE courses moderates the relationship between their feelings of challenge and interest. This study provides more context for how specific CURE course activities moderate students' week-to-week experiences of interest-challenge-frustration dynamics.This longitudinal study develops and analyzes detailed case studies for seven students by: (1) analyzing surveys distributed at seven time points throughout a semester in a CURE, (2) conducting interviews with students during the summer following their CURE to gain qualitative insights to survey data, and (3) analyzing surveys distributed to students over a year after their CURE.Findings highlight a number of factors that are important for student interest in CURE courses. These include peer and professor interactions, student autonomy, relevance of course activities to personal goals, and development of research skills. Findings also suggest that students' interest in CUREs can promote sustained content knowledge, project ownership, science identity, and confidence. To better support student interest in CUREs, instructors should continue to promote student collaboration, offer mentorship, and encourage students to see the relevance of CURE tasks.

Undergraduate research experiences have a demonstrated impact on computer science students, however scaling these experiences with growing enrollments can be difficult. Creating experiences tailored to the diverse research fields within computer science can require the support of a large number of faculty and mentors dedicated to these students. Instead, initiatives for group work with focused research topics have been proposed, implemented through the CURE model where students enroll in a course and collaborate to complete research tasks. This work instead proposes a reconfigured CURE for CS, which will enable students to individually pursue a topic in their subfield of interest through a course focused on fundamental research methods and with the support of peers in special interest groups (SIG). The proposed CS-CURE retains the original elements of scientific approach, discovery, iteration, collaboration, and contribution, identified as critical components of a CURE. This course is scheduled to be offered at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) in Spring 2024.

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Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are laboratory courses that integrate broadly relevant problems, discovery, use of the scientific process, collaboration, and iteration to provide more students with research experiences than is possible in individually mentored faculty laboratories. Members of the national Malate dehydrogenase CUREs Community (MCC) investigated the differences in student impacts between traditional laboratory courses (control), a short module CURE within traditional laboratory courses (mCURE), and CUREs lasting the entire course (cCURE). The sample included approximately 1,500 students taught by 22 faculty at 19 institutions. We investigated course structures for elements of a CURE and student outcomes including student knowledge, student learning, student attitudes, interest in future research, overall experience, future GPA, and retention in STEM. We also disaggregated the data to investigate whether underrepresented minority (URM) outcomes were different from White and Asian students. We found that the less time students spent in the CURE the less the course was reported to contain experiences indicative of a CURE. The cCURE imparted the largest impacts for experimental design, career interests, and plans to conduct future research, while the remaining outcomes were similar between the three conditions. The mCURE student outcomes were similar to control courses for most outcomes measured in this study. However, for experimental design, the mCURE was not significantly different than either the control or cCURE. Comparing URM and White/Asian student outcomes indicated no difference for condition, except for interest in future research. Notably, the URM students in the mCURE condition had significantly higher interest in conducting research in the future than White/Asian students.

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] Participation in undergraduate research experiences (UREs) has been identified as an important way of increasing undergraduate retention, interest, and identity within the sciences. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been shown to have similar outcomes to UREs but can reach a larger number of students at one time and are accessible to any student simply through enrollment in a course. One key component of a CURE is that students must participate in authentic scientific discovery in which they answer a question where the answer is initially unknown to both students and the scientific community. Here, we present student experiences with authentic research in a large, introductory physics CURE conducted remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. We use student responses to a closed ended survey question, as well as written responses to an open-ended end-of-course assignment to investigate what aspects of real research students felt that they participated in and the extent to which students felt that they participated in authentic research. Most students in the course felt like they engaged in real-world research during the course and a large number of students highlighted their experience with authentic research when asked to describe their experience in the course more broadly. We discuss which elements of the course may have contributed to the students ’ experiences of authentic research.

Despite the growing interest to provide research engagement opportunities to undergraduate students, few studies have investigated how engagement “intensity” impacts measures of student success. A quasi-experimental, matched-subject design was employed to study differences between varying levels of research experience intensity (i.e., Experienced, Novice, Control groups) on Graduating GPA, Time to Graduate, and type of post-graduation experience. Results indicated that experienced students had significantly higher graduating GPAs than novice or control students, and both research groups had significantly lower time to graduate than the control group. Findings also indicated experienced student researchers are significantly more likely to progress to graduate school than either novice research or control students. Implications for implementing research initiatives are discussed.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) introduce research leading to skills acquisition and increased persistence in the major. CUREs generate enthusiasm and interest in doing science and serve as an intervention to increase equity and participation of historically marginalized students. In the second-semester laboratory of our introductory sequence for biology and marine science majors at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB), instructors updated and implemented a field-based CURE. The goals of the CURE were to promote increased scientific identity, systems thinking, and equity at a Hispanic-serving institution (HSI). Through the CURE, students engaged in scientific writing through a research paper with a focus on information literacy, critical thinking, and quantitative reasoning as important elements of thinking like a scientist. Course exams also revealed that students showed gains in their ability to evaluate a new biological system using systems thinking. More broadly, because such field-based experiences demonstrate equity gains among Latinx students and a much greater sense of scientific identity, they may have impacts beyond introductory biology including in students’ personal and professional lives.

Undergraduate students interact with the culture of scientific research when they participate in direct mentorship experiences and laboratory courses such as course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). Much work has been done to explore how CUREs impact the interest, motivation, and retention of undergraduate students in science. However, little work has been done exploring students’ experiences and perceptions of the culture of scientific research in the CURE context, and how different CURE models representing different subfields of science impact these experiences and perceptions. This study explored which cultural aspects of scientific research students experienced after participating in a CURE and whether their perceptions of those cultural aspects differed based on students’ participation in a bench-based or computer-based research project. Students discussed the Practices and Norms/Expectations of scientific research most frequently. Students in the bench-based and computer-based project areas mentioned different cultural aspects as important to their experiences. Bench-based and computational students also had different perceptions of some of the same cultural aspects, including Teamwork, Freedom & Independence, and Persistence & Resilience. These results suggest that different CURE models differentially impact students’ experiences and perceptions of the culture of scientific research, which has implications for examining how students move into scientific research.

Abstract We developed a summer research experience program within a freestanding comprehensive cancer center to cultivate undergraduate students with an interest in and an aptitude for quantitative sciences focused on oncology. This unconventional location for an undergraduate program is an ideal setting for interdisciplinary training in the intersection of oncology, statistics, and epidemiology. This article describes the development and implementation of a hands-on research experience program in this unique environment. Core components of the program include faculty-mentored projects, instructional programs to improve research skills and domain knowledge, and professional development activities. We discuss key considerations such as fostering effective partnership between research and administrative units, recruiting students, and identifying faculty mentors with quantitative projects. We describe evaluation approaches and discuss post-program outcomes and lessons learned. In its initial two years, the program successfully improved the students’ perception of competence gained in research skills and statistical knowledge across several knowledge domains. The majority of students also went on to pursue graduate degrees in a quantitative field or work in oncology-centric academic research roles. Our research-based training model can be adapted by a variety of organizations motivated to develop a summer research experience program in quantitative sciences for undergraduate students. Supplemental files for this article are available online.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are an effective means of transforming the learning and teaching of science by involving students in the scientific process. The potential importance of the microbiome in shaping both environmental health and disease makes investigations of microbiomes an excellent teaching tool for undergraduate microbiology. Here, we present a CURE based on the microbiome of the bean beetle (Callosobruchus maculatus), a model system for undergraduate laboratory education. Despite the extensive research literature on bean beetles, little is known about their microbiome, making them an ideal system for a discovery-based CURE. In the CURE, students acquire microbiological technical skills by characterizing both culturable and unculturable members of the beetle gut-microbial community. Students plate beetle gut homogenates on different media, describe the colonies that are formed to estimate taxonomic diversity, extract DNA from colonies of interest, PCR amplify the16S rRNA gene for Sanger sequencing, and use the NCBI-nBLAST database to taxonomically classify sequences. Additionally, students extract total DNA from beetle gut homogenates for high-throughput paired-end sequencing and perform bioinformatic and statistical analyses of bacterial communities using a combination of open-access data processing software. Each activity allows students to engage with studies of microbiomes in a real-world context, to apply concepts and laboratory techniques to investigate either student or faculty-driven research questions, and to gain valuable experiences working with large high-throughput datasets. The CURE is designed such that it can be implemented over either 6-weeks (half semester) or 12-weeks (full semester), allowing for flexibility within the curriculum. Furthermore, student-generated data from the CURE (including bacterial colony phenotypic data, full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences from cultured isolates, and bacterial community sequences from gut homogenates) has been compiled in a continuously curated open-access database on the Bean Beetle Microbiome Project website, facilitating the generation of broader research questions across laboratory classrooms.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) involve entire classes of students in addressing research questions or problems of interest to the scientific community. The purpose of this study was to systematically examine the available literature for CUREs and explore implications and best practices for inclusion in music therapy education and training. The research questions included: (a) What are the characteristics of course-based undergraduate research experiences (i.e., participants, grade level, course, field of study, course type, duration, terminology, study design)? (b) What are the outcomes of course-based research experiences and how are these outcomes measured? Searching ERIC, PubMed, and Web of Science, authors identified articles published between 2000–2017 meeting criteria. Of 5,809 articles, 54 met inclusion criteria: published quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods study; involved undergraduate students; and the intervention met the five dimensions of CURE models. The majority of CURE studies were implemented in one-semester required courses in the life sciences for a variety of student grade levels. CURE outcomes frequently included increased research knowledge, increased course content knowledge and skills, improved attitudes and beliefs, general perceptions of the learning experience, and improved course satisfaction. CURE measurement tools were varied, but several used a researcher-created posttest, standard university course evaluations, researcher-created pretests/posttests, or standardized research skill development surveys. The majority of studies indicated a positive student response to CURE implementation. Implications and recommendations for music therapy education and training are discussed.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) involve entire classes of students researching a question or problem that is of interest to the scholarly community with an unknown outcome to both students and instructor. The purpose of this pre-experimental one-group posttest design study was to explore outcomes of a CURE for music therapy and music education students enrolled in a music psychology course. Specifically, we examined differences in scientific thinking, personal gains, research skills, and attitudes and behaviors of students resulting from their participation in a CURE experience, as well as students' perceived benefits of a CURE experience. Student participants (N = 30) completed the Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment. Likert-type items from the self-assessment were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended questions analyzed for common themes using content analysis. Students reported moderate gains across three areas (i.e., thinking and working like a scientist, personal gains, and research skills), with greatest gains reported for thinking and working like a scientist. Students reported limited change for changes in attitudes and behaviors as a researcher. The authors discuss implications and recommendations for future CUREs.

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have the potential to improve undergraduate biology education by involving large numbers of students in research. CUREs can take a variety of forms with different affordances and constraints, complicating the evaluation of design features that might contribute to successful outcomes. In this study, we compared students’ responses to three different research experiences offered within the same course. One of the research experiences involved purely computational work, whereas the other two offerings were bench-based research experiences. We found that students who participated in computer-based research reported at least as much interest in their research projects, a higher sense of achievement, and a higher level of satisfaction with the course compared with students who did bench-based research projects. In open-ended comments, similar proportions of students in each research area expressed some sense of project ownership as contributing positively to their course experiences. Their comments also supported the finding that experiencing a sense of achievement was a predictor of course satisfaction. We conclude that both computer-based and bench-based CUREs can have positive impacts on students’ attitudes. Development of more computer-based CUREs might allow larger numbers of students to benefit from participating in a research experience.

Introduction: In recent decades, there has been a reduction in the number of graduates from medical schools who choose to pursue a career in scientific research. That has an impact on the profile of graduates, since medical education depends on understanding the formation of scientific evidence. The construction of new knowledge is also hampered by the reduction of medical scientists, whose clinical experience with patients provides an essential step towards medical Science evolution. Objective: The present cross-sectional study sought to identify the interest in research among medical students from a federal university in southern Brazil. Method: Medical students from a federal university were asked to respond to a self-administered questionnaire that sought to identify the level of knowledge about the importance of scientific research in medical training, and the interest of this population in this element of their training. Results: 278 medical students from the first to the sixth year responded to the questionnaire, and 81.7% stated their interest in medical research. However, only 4.7% of respondents considered research as first in degree of importance to their medical training. The variable "interest in research" showed no statistically significant association with age, gender, presence of physicians in the family, or other prior college courses. Conclusion: Although interest in research is clearly present among the students, this is still an underexplored element among the population studied. The incorporation of research in the learning process depends on stimulus and guidance until it becomes culturally consolidated as an essential element of the medical training.

ABSTRACT Need for cognition (NFC) reflects the tendency to enjoy and engage in cognitive challenges. This study examines the relations between NFC and academic interest among 922 German secondary school students (academic track) assessed four times in Grades 5–7 (initial age M = 10.63, SD = 0.55; 41% female; 90% first language German) in mathematics, German, and English. Data were collected between 2008 and 2012 and were analyzed using autoregressive cross‐lagged panel models. In all domains, NFC positively predicted subsequent academic interest (β = 0.03 to β = 0.17) but interest did not positively predict subsequent NFC. Findings were comparable after controlling for students' achievement, gender, socioeconomic status, and class type. They suggest that NFC is a potential facilitator of the development of academic interest in school.

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Hidi and Renninger’s four-phase interest development model was identified as the most complete and widely used theoretical model illustrating the essence of academic interest. Using the model along with current research literature as a basis, this study aimed to develop and initially validate a generic multidimensional instrument to measure academic interest across different school subjects in the Chinese education context; this instrument was called the Academic Interest Scale for Adolescents (AISA). Three large samples of Chinese junior high school students were recruited by cluster sampling in the study. (1) Sample 1 (N = 552; 45.5% girls; 12.31 [SD = 0.98] years, range = 10–15 years) completed the draft of AISA, Intrinsic Motivation Scale and Scale for Adolescents’ Flow State in Learning in math and English. (2) Sample 2 (a subgroup of Sample 1, 411 students) completed the AISA in math and English again 2 months later after the first survey. (3) Sample 3 (N = 1,780; 50.1% girls; 13.69 [SD = 0.97] years, range = 12–16 years) completed the AISA in math, English, and Chinese. Identically worded items were used in AISA, except for the name of the subject. An exploratory factor analysis for math in sample 1 using principle axis factoring and promax rotation resulted in a 29-item AISA containing four dimensions: emotion, value, knowledge, and engagement, and the latent variables together explained 59.40% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis for math, English, and Chinese in sample 3 suggested the four-factor model fits well in different samples and subjects. Scale scores showed adequate internal consistency (the Cronbach’s α for AISA and each subscale ranged from 0.86 to 0.93) and acceptable test-criterion relationships (correlations between the AISA score and intrinsic motivation and flow state in learning > 0.51, ps < 0.001). Furthermore, the structural measure invariance across subjects, time (2-month interval), genders and grades were upheld. The AISA promises to be a useful tool for the evaluation of academic interest among Chinese adolescents and can be administered in different educational settings, i.e., different subjects, time, genders, and grades.

Adolescence is important for the development of achievement motivation, including achievement goal pursuit. Longitudinal research is scarce on adolescents' goal development and its implications for academic outcomes. In our research, we first present a systematic review of findings on achievement goals in adolescence. Then we report 2 longitudinal studies with German adolescents in which we investigated the separate as well as joint development of achievement goals, interest, and achievement in the domain of mathematics. Study 1 comprised 745 students assessed in 4 waves in grades 5-7 (43% female; age MT1 = 10.66). Study 2 comprised 1,420 students assessed in 4 waves in grades 5-8 (47% female; age MT1 = 10.58). Students reported their mastery, performance-approach, and performance-avoidance goals and their interest in mathematics. Mathematics achievement was assessed by school grades (Studies 1 and 2) and standardized test scores (Study 1). Data were analyzed using latent growth curve, multiple process, and cross-lagged models. Findings for the 2 studies evidenced a substantial degree of consistency. All goals decreased and the decrease became smaller over time in most instances. Controlling for nonfocal goals and demographic variables (socioeconomic status, gender), multiple process models revealed that change in mastery and performance-approach goals was positively related or unrelated to change in interest and achievement, whereas change in performance-avoidance goals was negatively related or unrelated to change in interest and achievement. Cross-lagged models revealed that relations between the achievement goals on the one hand and interest and achievement on the other hand were reciprocal rather than unidirectional. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

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BackgroundThe constructs of interest and motivation are often identified as factors that contribute to the persistence of undergraduate college women in physics, mathematics, engineering, engineering technology, and computer science. A review of the literature regarding interest development and motivation as related to women as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learners in diverse communities is presented. The goal of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences women credited for influencing the development of their career interest goals and the sources of motivation they attribute to success in their academic course outcomes in their fields of study.ResultsA mixed methods research approach was used to collect student perceptions related to interest and motivation by collecting data through the use of questionnaires and conducting focus groups. Results indicated that students identify early participation in STEM activities and family socializing behavior as ones that contributed the most towards influencing their interest in STEM and motivated them to persist in their studies and pathways as future STEM professionals.ConclusionsThis study is unique in that the participant groups included a substantial representation of Latina and African American women’s voices as relayed through the collected quantitative data as well as through the use of focus groups that encouraged women to freely identify experiences they felt contributed to their persistence success. These women identify interest development at various points in their lives as affected by family and school experiences, and family support was identified as having greater importance in their decision to persist.

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ABSTRACT The present study examined the relations between three motivational variables, i.e. academic self-efficacy, task importance, and interest with three types of learning behaviours, i.e. class engagement, metacognitive self-regulation, and avoidance coping with 1954 secondary students in Singapore. Positive correlations were found between the three motivational variables, class engagement and metacognitive self-regulation, whereas negative correlations were found between the three motivational variables and avoidance coping. Multiple regression analysis results showed that academic self-efficacy, interest and task importance all significantly predicted class engagement. However, only academic self-efficacy and interest significantly predicted metacognitive self-regulation and avoidance coping, but not task importance. The results were similar for both boys and girls. These findings suggest that academic self-efficacy and interest have a more desirable motivational function in comparison with task importance, especially when students face challenging tasks in learning English. Important implications for teaching are discussed.

This study investigated bidirectional links between the quality of teacher-child relationships and children's interest and pre-academic skills in literacy and math. Furthermore, differences in the patterns of bidirectionality between boys and girls were explored. Participants were 461 Finnish kindergarteners (6-year-olds) and their teachers (n = 48). Teachers reported their closeness and conflict with each child twice throughout the kindergarten year. Children rated their interest in literacy and math, and were tested on their pre-academic skills. Cross-lagged path models indicated that teacher-perceived conflict predicted lower interest and pre-academic skills in both literacy and math. Results were similar for boys and girls. Implications for reducing conflictual patterns of relationships, together with promoting other factors, are discussed.

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Stress levels are high among college students in the United States. Growth mindset and stress-is-enhancing mindset interventions offer ways to reduce stress, but minimal research has examined them. This study’s aim was to examine the effect of mindset interventions on mindsets, stress, academic motivation, and responses to hypothetical academic scenarios. Participants included 210 college students who were randomized to one of four groups: growth mindset (intelligence is malleable), stress mindset (stress is beneficial), synergistic (intelligence is malleable, and stress is beneficial), or control (brain functions). The growth mindset and the synergistic mindset group increased in growth mindset, and the growth mindset group had higher growth mindset than the stress mindset and control group post-intervention. The stress mindset and the synergistic group increased in stress-is-enhancing mindset, and both groups had higher stress-is-enhancing mindsets than the growth mindset and control group post-intervention. All groups decreased in stress and increased in academic motivation. The synergistic group was the only group to improve on all the main outcomes, and students in this group were less likely to want to withdraw from a course in both negative hypothetical academic scenarios (if they failed an assignment or were faced with a professor with a fixed mindset). Our findings suggest that students would benefit from increased access to mindset interventions.

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There are limitations to the review of the role of academic self-efficacy as a mediator of the link between academic motivation and academic achievement in students. This study aims to determine the direct, indirect, and total effects of academic self-efficacy as a mediating relationship between academic motivation and achievement. This study used 127 college students and health workers as samples. The profile of academic motivation was measured using the academic motivation scale, and academic self-efficacy was measured using the learning self-efficacy scale. The analysis technique in this study used the Robust Bootstrap Test for Mediation Analysis. This study explained that academic self-efficacy empirically played a role in mediating the relationship between academic motivation and academic achievement (β = .26; p .001; CI: [0.198-0.330]).

School burnout refers to psychological reactions to academic stress and loads and has been identified as a risk factor contributing to academic failure and subsequent mental health challenges. However, academic motivation, hope, and meaning in life can be potential combating factors against school burnout. This study aimed to examine the effects of academic motivation on school burnout in college students and explore mediator roles of hope and meaning in life. A path analysis was performed with the data collected from 544 Turkish college students to test the direct and indirect effects. The results showed that the direct effects from the three academic motivation variables to school burnout variables were larger than the indirect effects. Both mediators played roles in the relations between amotivation and efficacy and intrinsic motivation and efficacy. The last finding was that hope played more significant mediator roles than meaning in life. The results were discussed, along with implications for faculty, college counselors, and future studies.

Low rates of college completion are a major national dilemma, and one way in which college campuses can increase degree attainment rates is by fostering higher levels of academic motivation among students. This study analyzed the relationship between culturally engaging campus environments and growth in college students’ academic motivation. The survey data from a sample of 704 undergraduates enrolled at a public four-year university on the East Coast were analyzed. Bivariate correlations indicate that all nine indicators of culturally engaging campus environments were correlated with stronger academic motivation. When controlling for demographic and high school variables, cultural validation and humanized environments were directly and positively associated with growth in academic motivation. However, post hoc analysis reveals that cultural familiarity, culturally relevant knowledge, cross-cultural engagement, and collectivist orientation were all indirectly associated with motivation gains through cultural validation. The implications of this study for research include the need for research that analyzes these relationships with larger samples from more diverse institutions and utilizes methods that support stronger causal claims. Implications for practice include the importance of maximizing students’ access to culturally engaging environments and ensuring that they are designed with anti-deficit approaches that validate students’ backgrounds and identities to enhance academic motivation.

In the changing and demanding university context, various situations are experienced wherein abilities to maintain motivation and activate problem solving could be relevant in students’ adjustment. Beyond the widely analyzed role of academic motivation, this study focused on the added value of social problem-solving ability in student adjustment in the academic context. Analyses based on the responses obtained from 253 students (197 women and 56 men) indicated the significant role of social problem-solving ability in student adjustment, with a small additional amount (f2 = .09) 9% of variance in life satisfaction and medium additional amount (f2 = .17) 15% of variance in depressive symptoms, beyond academic motivation. In particular, negative problem orientation was an important predictor of depressive symptoms (β = .41, p < .001) and life satisfaction (β =  − .26, p < .001); however, positive problem orientation was only an important predictor of life satisfaction (β = .21, p < .01). This study also showed the predictive role of the value, expectancy, and affection components of motivation in student adjustment. Overall, the findings highlight the relevance of training in problem-solving orientation and motivational components to improve college students’ general well-being.

The current study investigated associations among interpersonal, academic, financial, and ethnicity-related stressors and college students’ academic motivation and depressive symptoms, as well as the moderating role of positive sibling relationships on these associations. Participants included 171 Mexican-origin college students (80.7% female; M = 21.6 years). Data were collected using an online survey and analyzed with path analysis. Under conditions of more positive sibling relationships, there was a positive association between interpersonal stress and academic motivation, a negative association between ethnicity-related social stress and academic motivation, and a positive association between financial stress and depressive symptoms. Under conditions of less positive sibling relationships, there was a positive association between interpersonal stress and depressive symptoms. Findings suggest that sibling relationships may only be protective for certain types of stress.

Financial hardship can hinder university achievement, yet the mechanisms linking motivation to performance among low-income undergraduates remain underexplored. This two-wave study tracked 316 students from three public universities in eastern China over a six-month period. Measures included intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation, learning strategies, perceived stress, and grade point average (GPA). Structural equation modeling revealed that the proposed model explained over 64% of the variance in GPA. Intrinsic motivation was positively associated with GPA both directly and indirectly through greater use of effective learning strategies and lower perceived stress. Extrinsic motivation contributed indirectly via strategy use, whereas amotivation showed the strongest negative relationship with GPA, operating through both reduced strategy use and elevated stress. These findings suggest that the quality of motivation shapes academic performance through self-regulated learning and stress appraisal. Interventions that foster intrinsic motivation, strengthen metacognitive and analytical strategies, and reduce stress may help narrow achievement gaps for economically disadvantaged students.

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Despite substantial studies on the influence of emotional support from teachers on student engagement, there is a dearth of research regarding how academic motivation improves the effectiveness of teacher support in improving college student engagement. This study investigates the mediating role of academic motivation in the relationship between teacher emotional support and student engagement. Utilizing Self-Determination Theory (SDT), we examine how intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as well as amotivation, influence engagement. This study employs a quantitative, cross-sectional research design to examine the mediating role of academic motivation in the link between teacher emotional support and student engagement. A total of 1,250 university students participated, responding to validated scales measuring teacher emotional support, academic motivation, and engagement. The results revealed that teacher emotional support significantly predicts both academic motivation and student engagement. Furthermore, academic motivation partially mediates this relationship, with intrinsic and extrinsic motivation enhancing engagement, while amotivation negatively impacts it. These findings underscore the importance of emotional support in fostering motivation, leading to greater academic engagement. The study highlights the psychological mechanisms underlying student engagement, contributing to research on higher education strategies. The results emphasize the need for educators to create emotionally supportive environments to maximize student motivation and engagement. Future research should explore correlational design to establish causality and examine additional factors such as peer support and learning environments.

Academic procrastination has been one of the major problems among students from different levels of education, specifically for college students. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of problem solving skill, a kind of cognitive skill, as well as academic motivation on academic procrastination behaviors of university students. In this explanatory correlational research study, 509 college students who enrolled in an extensive English language program at a public university in Turkey were included. As data collection tools, Tuckman procrastination scale, academic motivation scale and problem solving skill inventory were used. After testing our proposed theory through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), we found that problem solving skill had a strong effect on academic procrastination. We provided evidence showing that academic procrastination was a function of problem solving skill and academic motivation, rather than driven by intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. The current study emphasizes that academic procrastination behavior is related to the problem solving skill and presents a different perspective that should be taken into consideration in dealing with academic procrastination behaviors.

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College-aged students are at risk for experiencing negative events that may influence their future health and life. Those negative events or stressors may vary in type and severity. Stress and bullying are prevalent among nursing students that may affect their academic motivation. Our aim was to examine the gender differences in acute and perceived stress, bullying, and academic, motivation among nursing and midwifery students in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional design was utilized in this study to examine 391 nursing and midwifery students in four different universities in Saudi Arabia. The following scales were used to collect data: the college students acute stress scale, perceived stress scale, bullying behaviors in nursing education, and short version of academic motivation scale. Students reported relatively low acute stress and moderate perceived stress. Students did not generally experience considerable bullying. Only female students reported that they experience significant bullying in form of attacking academic motivation. Academic motivation among participating students were relatively high. Female students reported higher scores than male students on all variables; all differences are statistically significant except for bullying. The findings of this study contribute to the literature on the prevalence of stress and bullying among nursing and midwifery students and their influence on academic motivation. Also, the results provide further evidence to the gender differences in stress, bullying, and academic motivation among them. The study highlights the importance of supporting nursing and midwifery students, specifically female student, by providing supportive and encouraging environment to help them succeed in their study and love their future career.

Шмелева Евгения Дмитриевна - младший научный сотрудник Центра социологии высшего образования Института образования Национального исследовательского университета «Высшая школа экономики». E-mail: eshmeleva@hse.ruСеменова Татьяна Вадимовна - младший научный сотрудник Центра социологии высшего образования Института образования Национального исследовательского университета «Высшая школа экономики». E-mail: tsemenova@hse.ruАдрес: 101000, Москва, ул. Мясницкая, 20.Академическое мошенничество студентов часто связывают с низким уровнем учебной мотивации, что подтверждается рядом зарубежных и отечественных исследований. Однако роль учебной мотивации может быть переоценена, поскольку в таких исследованиях, как правило, не контролируются характеристики образовательной среды - поведение преподавателей и одногруппников. Проведено исследование с опорой на теоретическую рамку Э.Андермана и Т.Мердок при выделении факторов академического мошенничества и на теорию самодетерминации Э. Диси и Р. Райана для измерения учебной мотивации. На основе лонгитюдных данных о студентах четырех российских вузов - участников Проекта «5-100» (N= 914) оценивается вклад учебной мотивации в объяснение частоты списывания и обращения к плагиату при контроле характеристик образовательной среды. Результаты регрессионного анализа показывают, что, если учитывать вероятность последствий от академического мошенничества и нечестность одногруппников, учебная мотивация перестает играть значимую роль как предиктор академического мошенничества. Основным предиктором и плагиата, и списывания выступает представление о честности среды - о том, насколько распространены эти практики среди одногруппников. В отличие от списывания, плагиат не зависит от вероятности наказания со стороны преподавателей.

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This article explores the relationship between learning motivation, major choice, and academic performance among Chinese college students. The study highlights the importance of motivation in shaping students' learning behaviors, academic achievements, and career choices. It identifies various factors that influence student motivation and suggests ways to improve it. China has the world's largest higher education system, with millions of students taking college entrance exams every year, signifying fierce competition. Chinese college students' motivation to study varies across disciplines, institutions, and academic years. Some students are driven by family and social expectations to pursue high-paying careers and social status, while others lose learning motivation due to internal and external factors, leading to academic burnout and negativity. Understanding the factors that influence Chinese college students' motivation is crucial for improving the quality of higher education and student development. This study provides valuable insights for policymakers and educators to create a supportive learning environment that enhances student motivation and academic performance.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE In the context of deepening globalization, English, as the primary language for international communication, has become an indispensable component of personal academic, professional, and social capabilities. For college students, English proficiency is not only a key factor for academic success but also a crucial source of competitiveness in the future job market. By identifying key psychological factors such as classroom anxiety, learning motivation, and self-efficacy, this study aims to elucidate how these factors influence college students' English achievement, thereby filling the research gap in the current literature and proposing targeted educational strategies to improve students' English learning outcomes. METHODS This study adopts Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as its theoretical framework, constructing a model to explore the relationships among classroom anxiety, learning motivation, self-efficacy, and English achievement. Data were collected from 1000 randomly selected college students using the classroom anxiety scale, English learning motivation Scale, self-efficacy scale, and self-perceived English proficiency scale to analyze the impact of these psychological factors on English achievement. RESULTS The results indicate that classroom anxiety significantly negatively affects English achievement (β = -0.296; p < 0.001) and self-efficacy (β = -0.242; p < 0.001), while learning motivation (β = 0.145; p < 0.001) and self-efficacy (β = 0.328; p < 0.001) both significantly positively affect English Achievement. Further analysis reveals that self-efficacy plays a partial mediating role between classroom anxiety and English achievement, as well as between learning motivation and English achievement. CONCLUSION Classroom anxiety and learning motivation are important predictors of English achievement, with self-efficacy playing a critical mediating role. This finding highlights the importance of assessing and intervening in these psychological factors to improve English learning outcomes in the Chinese educational context. The results of this study not only provide new insights into the existing literature but also offer practical recommendations for educators and policymakers to better support students in their English learning.

Amid an era of rapid globalization and technological advancement, translation technologies stand as valuable assets for college students to enhance accuracy and efficiency in the translation process. However, the adoption and acceptance of these technologies are contingent on several psychological factors, which are underexplored in the academic field. This study, populated by a cohort of 397 college students, employs a multiple-item questionnaire measuring computer self-efficacy, learning motivation, cognitive engagement, and the behavioral intention to utilize translation technologies. The collected data were analyzed through a Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. Results indicated that computer self-efficacy significantly correlated with learning motivation, cognitive engagement, and behavioral intention to use translation technologies. Learning motivation and cognitive engagement were identified as critical mediators; combined, they exhibited a chain mediating effect on the association between computer self-efficacy and the intention to adopt translation technologies. Untangling the intertwined influences of these psychological constructs provides profound implications for the stakeholders, including tertiary education institutions, educators, curriculum developers, and technologists, to design effective pedagogical strategies and technology platforms to enhance translation technology adoption. This will equip students to harness these technologies and create a conducive environment for them to thrive in a globalized and digitally interconnected world.

Academic achievement and career aspirations are pivotal in preparing youth for socio-economic participation. This study investigated the relationship between the career aspirations and academic achievement of 217 randomly selected undergraduate students, utilising a cross-sectional survey design and the career aspirations scale (Gregor & Brien, 2016). Results showed that students had moderate career aspirations (Median=3.29) and academic performance (Median=3). Statistical analysis using the Mann-Whitney U Test indicated no significant gender differences in career aspirations (U=5895, z=.117, p=.91) but a significant difference in academic achievement (U=4775.50, z=-2.57, p=0.01), suggesting that career aspirations predict academic success. The findings highlight the need for academic support services to enhance student performance and career goals, emphasising career aspirations as critical for academic success and a central concern for educational policy.

The purpose of this present study is to explore the Educational Aspiration of undergraduate students with certain personal and demographic variables. Descriptive survey method is employed for this study. The sample of the study consisted of 100 undergraduate students from the district North 24 Parganas of West Bengal. The educational Aspiration Test developed by Yasmin Ghani Khan (1999) was administered to collect the data. The result reveals that undergraduate students did not differed significantly in their Educational Aspirationwith respect to their Gender, Religion, Residential locality, Type of family, Educational status of fathers and mothers, Occupation of fathers and mothers, academic stream and type of college.

Abstract- The main purpose of this study is to examine the occupational aspiration of undergraduate students in reference to their academic achievement. Descriptive survey method was used in this study. The Total sample Size of 300 students were selected by using random sampling technique. The Statistical techniques Mean, S.D. t-test and correlation were used. The main findings of this study are there is no significant difference between occupational aspiration and academic achievement of male and female undergraduate students. But there is found a significant difference between academic achievement of government and private collages.

Agricultural education forms the foundation for the development of requisite manpower for research, education, training and transfer of technology to the field and extension activities throughout the country. Six colleges of Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University were selected for the study. List of final year students of all colleges were obtained and among them total 150 students were randomly selected for the study by applying proportionate simple random sampling (59.29%). The finding of the study shows that Nearly three fifth (58.67%) of the respondents held favorable attitude towards higher education. Whereas, in case of educational aspiration majority (82.67%) of the respondents had shown their interest towards higher studies and willing to join for post-graduation. While 32.67 per cent of the agricultural students aspired to secure academic position in agricultural university as their first preference followed by administrative position in the Department of Agriculture (24.67%) in the occupational aspiration. Whereas, in entrepreneurial aspiration, more number (23.33%) of the students were most interested to take up agriculture as an enterprise followed by establishment of organic production unit (12.00%).

The aim of the study was to explore the career aspirations of 547 university students of undergraduate management program in Delhi and NCR of India so that the future career development activities could be aligned better. In the first phase, the impact of gender behaviour on level and area of career aspiration was studied whereas in the second phase, influencing factors effecting career aspirations of youth were studied. In the third phase of the study, an effort to identify the volume of focus of the students towards entrepreneurship as career choice was done. In the last phase, relationship between level of career aspirations and academic performance of students was studied. Statistical methods like central tendency, correlations, and inferential statistics were used to understand relationships between study variables. There was a minimal positive relationship between career level expectations and student's academic performance. The findings suggest that students have high career ambitions but are not at a reasonable level and also showed relatively low academic performance. Policymakers can develop the policies to create conducive environment for the youth of the country and their aspirations.

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We studied the effect grade aspiration, confidence in achieving that grade, prior learning and university entrance ranking had on first year biology students’ final grade. We hypothesised that (1) students with higher aspiration will achieve higher grades than those with lower aspiration; (2) students with prior biology learning will have a higher grade aspiration and a higher confidence of achieving that aspiration than those without such learning; (3) university entrance rank will impact students’ final grade; and (4) students with prior biology learning will achieve a higher final grade than those without such study. We found that Hypotheses 3 and 4 were supported, Hypothesis 2 was partially supported, and that Hypothesis 1 was unsupported. If these results reflect broader patterns that undergraduate student grade aspiration is not a predictor of their subsequent final grade then targeted information and curricula scaffolding must be provided to better align student aspirations with their actual academic achievement. Please cite this article as: Rayner, G., & Papakonstantinou, T. (2018). Interactions among students’ prior learning, aspiration, confidence and university entrance score as determinants of academic success. Student Success, 9(2). 1-12 doi: 10.5204/ssj.v9i2.438 This article has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication in Student Success. Please see the Editorial Policies under the ‘About’ section of the Journal website for further information. Student Success: A journal exploring the experiences of students in tertiary education This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence. As an open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings. ISSN: 2205-0795 Interactions among students’ prior learning, aspiration, confidence and university entrance score as determinants

This study examines the relationship between academic and career aspirations and informal learning engagement among undergraduate students in Kuwait. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study surveyed 366 students and analyzed open-ended responses to explore the benefits and motivations behind informal learning. Results indicate that academic aspiration is a significant predictor of informal learning engagement, while career aspiration shows a weaker correlation. Notably, informal learning is found to be widespread across academic ability levels, challenging the notion that it is exclusive to high-achieving students. Qualitative analysis reveals that students perceive informal learning as a source of personal development, skill acquisition, and career preparation. The findings suggest that informal learning complements formal education by enhancing students' confidence, creativity, and professional readiness. This study underscores the importance of fostering environments that support informal learning as a key element in students' overall educational and career success, particularly in preparing them for lifelong learning and workplace challenges.

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The focus on career and career preparation has long been a major component of secondary agricultural education programs. Aspiration can be defined as hope or ambition of achieving something. The occupational choices for agricultural students are many, varied and chosen based. The study was carried out in college of Agriculture, Jabalpur, JNKVV with the total sample of 120, level of occupational aspiration of undergraduate and postgraduate students were determined. The socio personal traits of the Undergraduate(UG) and Postgraduate(PG) result found that majority of the students  enrolled were male for undergraduate and postgraduate, had attended the medium of school as hindi for both UG and PG, nearly half of the respondents fathers were in government services for both UG and PG, both UG and PG graduates majority mothers were housewives, family size was small(55%) for UG and 50.00 per cent medium family size for PG Students, and academic performance, UG and PG students had secured 1st division. The result concluded that in socio personal traits of both the undergraduate and postgraduate students had medium level of occupational aspiration i.e 53.40 and 51.60 respectively.

Undergraduate career aspirations are accurately translated to chosen career paths. Understanding what influences these decisions has implications for future workforce planning. The aim of this study was to identify future career intentions in Northern Irish Medical Students. An anonymous voluntary survey consisting of binominal, Likert and free text responses was distributed to all medical students registered at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). Data was collected over 6 weeks in April-May 2021. The primary outcome was future career aspiration and secondary outcome was the reported attrition rate from medicine. Local Ethical approval was obtained. 202 responses were received (Response rate 15%). Two thirds (n = 135) were female. One third of respondents remained undecided about their future career choice, with senior students demonstrating greatest certainty in future career choice. Respondents were least likely to choose a career in Surgery (33%). Factors influencing these decisions were a lack of academic interest in the speciality, perceived workload, and the length of the training scheme. 10% of respondents were unsure or unlikely to pursue a career in Medicine after they graduated. Thematic analysis demonstrated, fear of making mistakes, poor work life balance and poor working environments as reasons for leaving medicine. Uncertainty over future career intention remains common with surgery the least popular speciality. The rate of potential attrition is concerning which warrants further investigation.

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ABSTRACT Educators have a critical stake in supporting the development of interest—as the presence of interest benefits sustained engagement and learning. Neuroscientific research has shown that interest is distinct from, but overlapping with, self-related information processing, the personally relevant connections that a learner makes to content (e.g., mathematics). We propose that consideration of self-related information processing is critical for encouraging interest development in at least two ways. First, support for learners to make self-related connections to content may provide a basis for the triggering of their interest. Triggered interest encourages individuals to search for more information, and to persevere in understanding material that otherwise might feel meaningless. Second, for learners who already have an initial interest in the content, self-related connections can further promote the deepening of interest through sustained engagement and information search. Background regarding both interest and self-related information processing is provided, and implications for practice are suggested.

Abstract This article reports on the complexities of triggering and maintaining interest, a process that is initiated when something catches the attention of a learner. Triggering interest (the initiation of the psychological state of interest) can occur in both earlier and later phases of interest development. However, in this study we focus on this process in earlier phases of interest development. Findings from a study of the activity of eight, Black, inner-city, middle school-age participants in an out-of-school biology workshop are described. We address the identification and generalizability of potential triggers for interest across activities and explore the relationship between triggers for interest and learner characteristics. Taken together, findings from the study suggest that learners do not perceive and respond identically to potential triggers for interest; and that the triggering process is nuanced by particular activity, and the readiness of the learner to respond.

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This review provides curiosity researchers and neuroscientists with information about the distinction as well as the relation between curiosity and interest, and their potential to benefit educational practice. Both are universal, and are associated with rewarding information search (that is, they do not require external rewards for their existence); however, they differ in their characteristics and in their impact on learning. Whereas the information seeking that characterizes curiosity may result in short-term and specific learning as the knowledge gap is closed, information search associated with interest serves to trigger new questions leading to an ongoing deepening and development of learners’ knowledge and value. Suggestions are made about (a) how the coordination of research on curiosity and interest development could benefit educational practice, and (b) how neuroscientific research is uniquely positioned to distinguish between curiosity and interest.

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Abstract This work reflects the adaptation of the Interest Development Scale (IDS) for use in measuring a student’s geoscience interest. The IDS was developed using the Hidi and Renninger four-phase interest model. An exploratory factor analysis was performed using the results from three introductory geoscience courses at two universities (n=419 participants) to both validate and adapt the scale for a geoscience-specific context. Exploratory factor analysis of the adapted scale, the Interest Development Scale for Geoscience (IDSGeos), resolved three factors: Questioning and Development, Self-motivation and Persistence, and Geoscience Value. These three factors can be reasonably mapped to the latent variables of the original IDS. The average geoscience interest of the sample was x̅ = 2.90 (SD = 1.10; Likert-type scale of 1–7), and one statistically significant difference was found in students gender identity, with students of a gender traditionally represented in geoscience reporting greater interest than students who identify with a gender that is marginalized in geoscience (t(411) = −2.43, p = 0.015). Understanding student interest in geoscience is critically important, as it has the potential to inform many decisions that happen in post-secondary spaces – from the selection of classroom examples to marketing strategies intending to attract new geoscience majors.

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Background Two critical challenges in science education are how to engage students in the practices of science and how to develop and sustain interest. The goal of this study was to examine the extent to which high school youth, the majority of whom are members of racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in STEM, learn the skills and practices of science and in turn develop interest in conducting scientific research as part of their career pursuits. To accomplish this goal, we applied Hidi and Renninger’s well-tested theoretical framework for studying interest development in the context of a museum-based, informal science education (ISE) program. We used a mixed methods approach, incorporating both survey and interview data, to address three research questions: (1) As youth engage in authentic science research, do they develop perceived competence in mastering the skills and practices of science? (2) Do participants increase, maintain, or decrease interest in science research as a result of this experience? (3) How does participation in scientific practices manifest in non-program contexts? Results Our study yielded three main results. First, we found that participants developed competence in mastering several of the skills and practices of science. Strikingly, there was significant improvement in self-reported level of competency for 15 specific research skills. Second, we found that participants maintained their interest in scientific research over time. Our post-survey results revealed that one hundred percent of students were either excited about or expressed deep interest in scientific research. Based on a Phases of Interest Development Rubric developed for this study, most participants exhibited emerging individual interest . Finally, participants exhibited significant increases in the frequency in which they engaged in scientific practices outside of the program. Conclusions Our findings suggest that participation in authentic research in an ISE context affords youth critical opportunities for gaining mastery of several of the skills and practices of science, which in turn reinforces, and in some cases increases participants’ interest in scientific research beyond the span of the program.

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The Tromsø Interest Questionnaire (TRIQ) is the first suite of self-report subscales designed for focused investigations on how interest is experienced in relation to Hidi and Renninger’s four-phase model of interest development. In response to the plethora of varied interest measures that already exist in terms of theoretical grounding, form, and tested quality, the TRIQ subscales were designed with a consistent form to measure general interest, situation dependence, positive affect, competence level, competence aspirations, meaningfulness, and self-regulation answered in relation to some object of interest. Two studies testing the subscales’ performance using different objects of interest (self-chosen “object-general,” and prespecified “object-specific”) provide evidence of the subscales’ internal consistency, temporal reliability, and phase-distinguishing validity. Patterns across the two studies demonstrate that the TRIQ is a sufficiently reliable and valid domain-tailorable tool that is particularly effective at distinguishing phase 1 (triggered situational) from phase 4 (well-developed individual) interest. The findings raise interesting questions for further investigation about the distinction and distance between all interest phases, the push-pull factors that influence how interests evolve and additional subscales to add to the suite.

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In this chapter, the author investigates the importance of interest as an essential component of both self-regulation and motivation which are both critical in the development of learner autonomy, especially outside the classroom. The author shows how interest not only initiates motivation but can also sustain it in the long term. The role of interest as a source and a driver of motivation has not always been emphasized enough, but its significance has been increasingly recognized in research over the last couple of decades (Hidi & Ainley, 2009; Hidi & Renninger, 2006; Sansone, 2009; Sansone & Thoman, 2005, 2006). Because interest is now seen as crucial in enabling learners to maintain their motivation over time, it has a particular relevance to individuals in self-directed or ‘beyond the classroom’ learning contexts. In such contexts, learners have to regulate their own motivation to a great extent. They can do this by setting goals and monitoring their progress in attaining those goals. They can also maintain their motivation by finding what interests them and by developing that interest. Some studies have shown how autonomous learners use interest as well as goals to regulate and sustain their motivation (McLoughlin & Mynard, 2015, 2018; Mynard & McLoughlin, 2016). This chapter examines how a focus on interest helps learners become more effective at regulating their motivation, as well as how interest development can play an important part in creating more autonomous learners.

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Parent–child communication is an essential part of developing and sustaining career interests. Parents’ involvement in the process of career interest development and persistence of women in STEM is critical to understand to marshal support for women entering high-barrier fields. This manuscript answers 3 questions about how parents are involved in the processes of career interest development and persistence: What do parents do? What do parents say? And what should parents say? Models of interest development, studies of parental vocational anticipatory socialization, and communication theories such as the support framework and confirmation theory answer these questions. We propose paths for future research that use communication theory to predict effective parental communication while embracing an intersectional lens and considering support gaps.

ABSTRACT To keep abreast with recent developments in young persons’ STEM career interests and to anticipate the gender representation in the future workforce, we need to periodically update cohort comparisons of the persistence in STEM career interest among male and female youth. Using two national U.S. samples of first-year college students, collected a decade apart in 2007 and 2017, we found that, at the end of high school, the gender gap in STEM career interest still existed, but had shrunk considerably during the decade. Both genders were more likely to transition into STEM from non-STEM career interests during the high school years in the 2017 cohort than in the 2007 cohort, with females experiencing a steeper increase. Furthermore, females who were initially interested in a STEM career were more likely to persist in a STEM career interest in the 2017 cohort than in the 2007 cohort, whereas males’ persistence rates remained the same between cohorts.

Knowledge, competencies, and reflective attitudes regarding STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) are essential for navigating global and societal changes in the economy and workforce [...]

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With the highly demand of national development and labor market, more high-level talents are needed to engage in STEM careers. STEM career interest is an important predictor to students' STEM choices, it has attracted the attention of researchers. However, little is known about how STEM competitions affect students' career interests and their persistence in STEM. Therefore, the current study surveyed the views of 71 alumni who participated in STEM competitions at the high school, mixed methods was employed. The quantitative findings suggest that alumni acknowledge that competitions increase their interest in STEM careers. Although there is no significant difference in their choice of STEM majors compared to those who did not participate in the competition, the proportion of their continuing to participate in STEM activities and likelihood of pursuing STEM careers in the future is higher. Qualitative data show that students have access to more STEM resources through competitions, gained STEM knowledge, improved STEM skills, and had a positive feeling of STEM, which have promoted them to generate or maintain a STEM career interest, and on this basis, it is possible to choose STEM-related majors in universities, participate in STEM-related activities, and expect to engage in STEM careers in the future, forming a path of sustainable development in the STEM field. Our findings provide insight that STEM competitions are an important factor in increasing students' interest and persistence in STEM careers, and we suggest the development of STEM competitions can be further strengthened in the future.

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In recent years, a decline in employment rates has been observed among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates in South Korea, influenced by diverse factors, including economic, social, and policy-related factors. Understanding the reasons behind this decline in STEM employment requires an exploration of academic persistence intentions in STEM and their interconnected relationships with relevant factors. This study aimed to comprehensively examine differences in academic persistence intentions, environmental factors, achievement-related factors, and career motivation among 2393 STEM undergraduates in Korea. Furthermore, this study investigated the factors affecting academic persistence intentions. Data were analyzed using different statistical methods, including factorial multivariate analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and multiple regression models conducted by adding variables of interest. The findings revealed significant differences in academic persistence intentions, environmental factors, achievement-related factors, and career motivation as perceived by STEM undergraduates, based on individual background and university characteristics. Moreover, 53.9% of academic persistence intentions were explained by 10 variables (gender, career direction after graduation, career field to enter after graduation, start period of career path preparation [career-related factors], contextual supports and career barriers [environmental factors], engineering self-efficacy, outcome expectations, major interest [achievement-related factors], and career motivation). Specifically, career motivation contributed the most to the academic persistence intentions of STEM undergraduates, followed by engineering self-efficacy and career barriers. The findings underscore the necessity for customized educational and policy support, considering individual background and university characteristics, to effectively address the challenges faced by STEM graduates in the changing employment landscape.

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This 2-year longitudinal study examines the relations between math and science interest, STEM identity, and perceptions of STEM barriers in 280 (68% female; Mage = 15.27) adolescents in the United States and the United Kingdom. Structural equation models indicated that higher math interest at time 1 was positively associated with overall STEM identity at time 2, and greater STEM identity at time 2 was related to fewer perceptions of barriers to STEM at time 3. Surprisingly, science interest, gender-STEM identity, and racial-ethnic STEM identity were not associated with perceptions of STEM barriers. Results underscore the foundational role of math interest and STEM identity and in support of adolescents’ persistence in STEM pursuits.

This conceptual paper examines the role of STEM career interest in predicting career readiness among Malaysian secondary school students in STEM streams. Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), the paper positions career interest as an affective motivational construct that drives students to engage in exploration, planning and decision-making behaviours associated with readiness for future study and work. Within SCCT, cognitive beliefs such as career self-efficacy and career outcome expectations are recognised as antecedents that shape career interest formation. However, this paper focuses specifically on the direct motivational pathway linking STEM career interest to career readiness. Drawing on theoretical and empirical literature, the discussion explains how sustained career interest in STEM domains enhances persistence, proactive engagement and informed career decision-making, all of which signify readiness to pursue STEM pathways. By synthesising current evidence and highlighting key gaps in Malaysian secondary education research, this paper underscores the importance of prioritising STEM career interest as a central motivational determinant of career readiness and calls for future empirical studies to test this relationship within the Malaysian context.

One of the major challenges faced by the education system today is the lack of interest exhibited by undergraduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This is particularly concerning as the world is becoming increasingly technology-driven, and a skilled workforce is necessary to meet future demands. Therefore, fostering interest among undergraduates in STEM fields is imperative to improve their engagement and persistence in these disciplines. Numerous initiatives have been undertaken to enhance students' STEM interests in formal, non-formal, and informal learning settings. However, assessing the effectiveness of these initiatives requires a robust and validated measurement tool grounded in theoretical and empirical evidence. Without a valid and reliable instrument, it would be challenging to determine the effectiveness of these initiatives in promoting STEM education and interest among undergraduates. This study presents a STEM Interest Scale (SIS) that captures diverse psychological factors that affect students’ interest in STEM. To develop this scale, the study employs a cross-sectional quantitative design. The data collection process involved two phases for developing and validating the scale. In phase I, 280 participants were surveyed to perform exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify the underlying dimensions of STEM interest. In phase II, a sample of 266 students was used to assess the psychometric characteristics of the ‘STEM Interest Scale (SIS) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and nomological validity. The outcome of the EFA revealed that the STEM Interest scale is comprised of four psychological factors: intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, self-concept, and employment aspiration, while the CFA and nomological network confirm the validity of these factors. The present research is a pioneering effort to holistically capture STEM interest, thereby paving the way for informed interventions in STEM education.

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This study examined how developing an engineering identity through the interplay between interest, recognition, and performance/competence beliefs and establishing a sense of belonging supported women’s persistence beliefs in engineering. Persistence belief in this study is captured through women’s certainty of graduating with an engineering degree. Students’ levels of motivation, affective states, and actions are based on what students believe to be true. Data were gathered from a survey administered to engineering students at nine institutions across the USA. Only female engineering students were used in the analysis. Students were further grouped into categories based on the representation of their race/ethnicity in engineering; 121 women were identified as minoritized in engineering, and 252 were identified as part of the majority group in engineering. Structural equation modeling was used to understand how the development of an engineering identity and modes of belonging (i.e., belonging in the major and in the classroom environment) supported women’s certainty to graduate with an engineering degree. All latent constructs were examined for measurement invariance; partial measurement invariance was achieved. Equality constraints on the structural paths of the model were not enforced to allow for differences across groups. Seeing oneself as an engineer (i.e., internal recognition) did not support minoritized women’s certainty to persist toward degree completion, whereas this internal recognition supported majority women’s persistence. Belonging in the major and belonging in the classroom environment did not support minoritized women’s certainty to persist. Establishing a sense of belonging in the classroom environment supported majority women’s certainty to persist. Minoritized women’s persistence toward degree completion was supported by their interest in engineering and their confidence in performing well in engineering coursework. However, interest in engineering was two times more influential toward minoritized women’s persistence than their performance competence beliefs. These findings provide educators with a nuanced understanding of how identity development and modes of belonging differentially affect women’s persistence beliefs. These findings suggest that educators need to understand the powerful influence minoritized women’s interest in engineering has on their persistence beliefs and create mechanisms to continuously reinforce interest.

Although women’s participation in STEM has expanded, doctoral persistence remains influenced by complex psychological and contextual factors. In Malaysia, existing research largely emphasizes undergraduate retention, with limited qualitative attention to women’s persistence at the PhD level. This study explores the role of personal interest in shaping persistence among female engineering doctoral students at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), a qualitative approach was employed using semi-structured interviews with nine female lecturers in multiple engineering disciplines. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis. Findings indicate that personal interest operates as a dynamic and developmental mechanism across four dimensions: early formation through exposure and encouragement; identity-integrated interest shaped by belonging and academic success; value-integrated interest linked to societal contribution; and sustained passion functioning as motivational energy. Interest evolved from early academic socialization into a deeply internalized commitment that reinforced persistence throughout prolonged doctoral challenges. The findings extend SCCT by conceptualizing interest as an evolving psychological process central to doctoral completion in STEM within a Malaysian higher education context.

Extension outreach professionals are searching for new methods to target the growing population of Latino students. Oklahoma State University faculty in the Animal Science department and the 4-H Youth Development program partnered to sponsor a 4-H STEM Institute designed to promote science, technology, engineering, and math to Latino students in the Unidos Se Puede program. The STEM Institute was designed to introduce the Latino youth to college life and STEM based career opportunities. The program was evaluated utilizing the 4-H Common Measures Science instruments. The results indicate a positive impact on the youth’s perception of STEM as a career option. The students increase in self-efficacy predicts the students will increase their persistence in the subjects of science and math (Simpkins, Davis-Kean, & Eccles, 2006). Increased persistence in science and math leads to increased success in post secondary STEM studies and occupations.

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An abundance of literature has examined barriers to women’s equitable representation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, with many studies demonstrating that STEM fields are not perceived to afford communal goals, a key component of women’s interest in future careers. Using Goal Congruity Theory as a framework, we tested the longitudinal impact of perceptions of STEM career goal affordances, personal communal and agentic goal endorsements, and their congruity on persistence in science from the second through fourth years of college among women in STEM majors in the United States. We found that women’s intent to persist in science were highest in the fall of their second year, that persistence intentions exhibited a sharp decline, and eventually leveled off by their fourth year of college. This pattern was moderated by perceptions of agentic affordances in STEM, such that women who believe that STEM careers afford the opportunity for achievement and individualism experienced smaller declines. We found that higher perceptions of communal goal affordances in STEM consistently predicted higher persistence intentions indicating women may benefit from perceptions that STEM affords communal goals. Finally, we found women with higher agentic affordances in STEM also had greater intentions to persist, and this relationship was stronger for women with higher agentic goals. We conclude that because STEM fields are stereotyped as affording agentic goals, women who identify interest in a STEM major during their first years of college may be drawn to these fields for this reason and may benefit from perceptions that STEM affords agentic goals.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) in a required music psychology course and to measure student outcomes and conduct reliability estimation for the Research Skill Development Questionnaire (RSDQ) and Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment (URSSA). Student researchers (N = 33) completed the URSSA and RSDQ. We analyzed URSSA Likert-type items using descriptive statistics and performed content analysis on open-ended responses. Student researchers reported moderate improvement across three subscales of Thinking and Working Like a Scientist, Personal Gains, and Research Skills, and some change for Attitudes and Beliefs. A comparison of pretest and posttest RSDQ subscale scores showed no significant change in participants’ self-reported research knowledge, skills, or dispositions. URSSA and RSDQ subscales demonstrated strong internal consistency. Based on content analysis of URSSA open-ended responses, participants reported interest in graduate school, greater understanding of and confidence about research, and plans to use research in their career.

The Kungullanji Summer Research Program offers research experiences for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander undergraduates while recognizing their contributions to research. The Kungullanji program approach is a strengths-based research training framework that recognizes existing ability outside of institutional definitions of success and adapts to student needs with multilayered support. Initial results suggest that this approach increases students’ self-confidence and interest.

Quantitative techniques are a critical part of contemporary biology research, but students interested in biology enter college with widely varying quantitative skills and attitudes toward mathematics. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) may be an early way to build student competency and positive attitudes. Here we describe the design, implementation, and assessment of an introductory quantitative CURE focused on halophilic microbes. In this CURE, students culture and isolate halophilic microbes from environmental and food samples, perform growth assays, then use mathematical modeling to quantify the growth rate of strains in different salinities. To assess how the course may impact students’ future academic plans and attitudes toward the use of math in biology, we used pre- and post-quarter surveys. Students who completed the course showed more positive attitudes toward science learning and an increased interest in pursuing additional quantitative biology experiences. We argue that the classroom application of microbiology methods, combined with mathematical modeling using student-generated data, provides a degree of student ownership, collaboration, iteration, and discovery that makes quantitative learning both relevant and exciting to students.

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Short-term study abroad experiences are the most common type of undergraduate study abroad programs in the United States. However, and to the best of our knowledge, little empirical research exists on students’ learning outcomes following their participation in a short-term program using an integrated research praxis. To address this, we structured an international embedded program in Costa Rica and Panama which allowed students to engage in authentic research experiences topically centered in ecology and service-learning activities in conservation biology. Mixed methods analyses on data generated from the assessment of students (n=54) in three cohorts, revealed students’ gains (both positive and negative) in specific scientific skills and knowledge domains in both the fields of ecology and conservation biology, as well as interest in doing further field research, perceptions of authentic international field research, appreciation of the value of biodiversity, advocacy, and future actions as conservationists and informed citizens (global citizenship).

Engaging undergraduate students in research has become increasingly important due to its potential benefits (for example, increased intention to pursue postgraduate study and enhanced understanding of theoretical knowledge). This study investigated whether a comprehensive food science research project that was incorporated into the laboratory component of an Experimental Study of Foods course would enhance student knowledge, confidence, and interest in research. A total of 84 students participated in two sections of the laboratory (2016, n = 39; 2017, n = 45). Scores for pre and posttests and questionnaires were used to determine if the differences in knowledge scores and ratings for confidence in doing research were significant. Knowledge scores indicated that participants were knowledgeable about research at baseline (2016, 7.31 ± 1.15; 2017, 6.89 ± 0.1.21; maximum of 10 points). Results of the t‐tests showed that the change in knowledge scores before and after the project was not statistically significant; however, the level of confidence in performing various research skills (for example, identify research questions, formulate hypotheses, design an experiment) significantly increased upon project completion. In general, students demonstrated favorable attitudes toward the research project at the end of this project. Qualitative responses were organized into three themes that related to the “input” (elements that made the project successful), “process” (how the project was conducted), and “outcomes” (reported gains or benefits) of the project. Recommendations were made in terms of mentorship, research guidelines and topics, and group culture to improve future projects.

Engaging interested students in field-based research experiences is imperative for cultivating interest in field science and preparing students for a career in field-based science. Here we provide a framework for completing meaningful, authentic course-based research in a five-week field course. Student research outcomes and feedback suggest that a five-week course can provide students a significant research experience that not only develops student interest in pursuing field research, but also improvements in their science-process skills. By using this course-based model, we intend to make field-based research experiences accessible to a broader range of students, increasing the opportunities for all students to explore this dimension of scientific research.