Education Research Grant: A Study of the Scientific Epistemological Views of Undergraduate Students

学生对科学本质的理解、对科学的认识论、学生的文化和普遍的世界观被证明是影响学生在科学上取得成功的因素。学生潜在的科学认识论观点(SEV)可能是影响学生科学观和学生科学成就水平的重要因素。这项拟议的研究将调查HBCU和其他大学STEM专业学生的科学认识论观点(SEV)，以确定学生SEV在多大程度上是本科生经历以及毕业后留住STEM专业的一个因素。这项研究将寻找学生将科学视为理想专业的观点与学生的SEV之间的潜在关联。此外，本研究还将调查学生族群分类和SEV之间的差异，以提供有关科学课堂中认知思维多样性的信息。本项目的研究方法包括定量和定性的队列研究，使用被称为SEV-S的调查工具来提供关于学生的科学认识论观点的数据。在田纳西州立大学使用这一工具和设计方法完成了一项初步研究，发现STEM专业和非STEM专业的学生、男女学生和不同种族的学生在科学认识论上存在显著的统计学差异。

A combination of student understanding of the nature of science, an epistemology of science, the student's culture and general worldview has been shown to influence a student's success in science. The underlying scientific epistemological view (SEV) of the student may be a significant factor in student views about science as well as student's level of success in science. The proposed research will investigate the scientific epistemological views (SEVs) of STEM majors at HBCUs and other universities to determine to what extent student SEV is a factor in undergraduate students' experiences and subsequently retention in a STEM major to graduation. The research will look for potential correlation between student's view of science as a desired major and student's SEV. In addition the study will investigate differences between student ethnic group classification and SEV in order to provide information about the diversity of epistemic thought in science classrooms. The research methodology for this project consists of a quantitative and qualitative cohort study using a survey instrument referred to as the SEV-S to provide data regarding student's scientific epistemological views. A pilot study has been completed using this instrument and design methodology at Tennessee State University and statistically significant differences in epistemologies of science were found between STEM majors/non-STEM majors, male/female students, and students of different ethnicities.