Connecting Self-Efficacy and Nature of Science Shifts in Undergraduate Research Experiences

Abstract

Undergraduate research is a significant way to foster students' more central participation in physics. We present a potential mechanism by which research experiences may impact undergraduate participation: changes in their beliefs about the nature of science coupled to changes in a sense of ability to contribute to authentic research. Students in the study were part of a research seminar at the University of Maryland in which they worked with faculty and graduate student research mentors on research projects. In videotaped interviews, we asked students to describe their experiences in research. Students developed nuanced views about how the research process works. They also perceive shifts in their sense of access to research, feeling like their contributions as novices mattered.