Insights into student gains from undergraduate research using pre- and post-assessments

Abstract

Undergraduate research experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields expose students to scientific research and are thought to increase student retention in STEM. We developed a pre- and post-survey and administered it to the participants of the Harvard Forest Summer Research Program in Ecology (HF-SRPE) to evaluate the effectiveness of these programmatic goals. Between 2005 and 2015, the survey was sent to all 263 HF-SRPE participants; 79% completed it. Results, controlled for prior experiences, revealed significant improvements across all learning goals. Prior laboratory research experience and perception of being a respected member of a research team were positively associated with gains in research skills and abilities to do and present research. Although the pre- and post-surveys did not indicate changes in the students' goals of pursuing STEM and/or environmental careers, the positive learning gains suggest that students with prior interests in STEM fields take advantage of UREs to solidify further their aspirations in STEM.