Collaborative Research: Supporting Chemistry Students’ Science Practice Self-Efficacy

本项目旨在通过培养本科化学专业学生从事科学实践的能力，并促进学生对自己从事科学实践能力的信念，即科学实践自我效能感（SPSE），为国家利益服务。熟练掌握科学实践并有信心进行这些实践，对于学生在学校和毕业后的生活中应用他们的科学理解的能力至关重要。项目组计划实施一种新颖的方法来吸引化学学习者参与科学实践。他们还计划开发新的调查工具，以产生证据，以便更好地了解学生的科学实践能力、自我效能感、科学认同和化学课程表现之间的关系。这些发现有可能改善化学入门教育，并支持科学素养STEM毕业生的发展。该项目由内布拉斯加大学林肯分校和加州州立大学富勒顿分校的研究人员合作完成。项目活动将包括(1)开发和测试用于测量科学实践自我效能和科学实践能力的高质量仪器；(2)在普通化学和有机化学课程中进行准实验研究，以确定化学学生参与科学实践如何支持他们的科学实践能力和SPSE；(3)使用结构方程模型建立SPSE与相关结果变量之间的关系。该项目将利用研究团队的互补专业知识和顾问委员会成员的量身定制专业知识，以确保通过研究活动产生的所有产品的质量。有待开发的科学实践自我效能和科学实践能力的测量将有可能对STEM教育领域的研究人员有用。这些产品将通过出版物和资源数据库传播给更广泛的化学教育界，如化学仪器审查和评估图书馆（CHIRAL）和有机化学教育资源（OrganicERs）。NSF IUSE: EHR计划支持研究和开发项目，以提高所有学生STEM教育的有效性。通过参与学生学习轨道，该计划支持有前途的实践和工具的创建，探索和实施。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project aims to serve the national interest by developing undergraduate chemistry students’ competency to engage in the practices of scientists, as well as facilitating students’ beliefs in their abilities to engage in these science practices, which is known as science practice self-efficacy (SPSE). Facility with scientific practices and confidence in carrying them out are critical for students’ ability to apply their scientific understandings both in school and in post-school life. The project team plans to implement a novel approach to engaging chemistry learners in science practices. They also plan to develop new survey instruments to generate evidence that can be used to better understand the relationships among students’ science practice competency, self-efficacy, science identity, and chemistry course performance. The findings have the potential to improve introductory chemistry education and support the development of scientifically literate STEM graduates. This project is a collaboration between researchers at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and California State University-Fullerton. Project activities will include (1) developing and testing high-quality instruments for measuring science practice self-efficacy and science practice competency, (2) conducting a quasi-experimental study in general chemistry and organic chemistry courses to identify how engaging chemistry students in science practices supports their science practice competency and SPSE, and (3) modeling the relationship between SPSE and relevant outcome variables using a structural equation model. The project will leverage the complementary expertise of the research team and tailored expertise of the advisory board members to ensure the quality of all products generated through research activity. The measures of science practice self-efficacy and science practice competency to be developed will have the potential be useful for researchers across STEM education fields. These products will be disseminated through publications and resource databases accessible to the wider chemistry education community such as the Chemistry Instrument Review and Assessment Library (CHIRAL) and Organic Chemistry Educational Resources (OrganicERs). The NSF IUSE: EHR Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.