CAREER: Investigating and Supporting Undergraduate Biology Students' Abilities to Communicate about Culturally Controversial Science Topics

目前的研究表明，理科生在文化上有争议的科学话题上进行无效的沟通。这种无效的沟通会加剧科学与社会之间的鸿沟。不幸的是，尽管科学传播对本科生来说是一项至关重要的技能，但大多数学生并没有得到适当的指导，如何以富有成效的方式交流这些话题。解决这一问题的挑战之一是缺乏全面的评估方法、教学框架和材料来提高学生的沟通能力。本项目旨在为国家利益服务，并通过开发循证实践和教学材料，向学习生物科学的本科生传授科学传播原则，以及如何在讨论文化上有争议的科学话题时应用这些原则，来解决这一差距。通过提高学生的沟通技巧，该项目旨在提高他们作为未来科学家、科学教育者和医疗保健提供者的影响力，最终通过更有效的科学传播促进科学与社会之间的关系。该项目位于中田纳西州立大学，将创建推进有关文化争议科学主题（CCSTs）的本科科学传播教育所需的材料。利用文化能力和期望值理论的框架以及科学传播的指导原则，该项目的具体目标是：(1)开发测量学生传播教育成果的调查工具；(2)建立一个基于证据的教学框架，其中包含一套CCST传播教育的最佳实践；(3)设计以证据为基础的教学材料，供科学教师使用，以改善本科生的CCST交流结果。为了实现目标，项目团队将建立、试点和收集调查工具的有效性证据，这些调查工具可用于评估学生对CCSTs的信心、知识和沟通能力。一旦工具被开发出来并为这些措施收集了有效性证据，研究人员将使用这些措施来评估目前在美国50个生物课上学习CCST的本科生的CCST沟通教育结果。为了建立一个基于证据的教学框架，研究人员将使用三角测量方法来确定教学CCST交流的最佳实践。研究人员将利用他们对当前教学实践的观察、对学生和教师的访谈以及先前发表的科学传播教育文献中的数据来确定有效的CCST传播教育实践。利用新的框架，研究人员将设计课程，以提高学生的CCST沟通知识，信心和能力，然后使用新的调查工具来评估本科理科课程的课程。此外，研究人员将为学生提供基于课程的研究体验（CRE），这些学生将从事与CSST研究收集的数据相关的项目。项目的成功与否将通过工具、框架和课程的制作和出版来评估，这些工具、框架和课程将显示出更好的学生交流结果。此外，专家顾问委员会将审查项目产品，并评估其在不同学生群体中的有效性证据。该项目的成果将通过同行评议的科学和科学教育期刊上的出版物以及在科学和科学教育会议上的报告来传播。研究小组还将制作描述研究结果的演讲和信息图表，并发布在媒体和社交媒体平台上。本项目有潜力通过具体解决关于CCSTs的学生交流来推进科学传播教育领域，目前这方面的研究很少。最终，这个项目有可能通过培训更多的未来科学家进行更有效的交流，帮助缓解公众对ccst的两极分化。教师早期职业发展（Career）计划是美国国家科学基金会（NSF）范围内的一项活动，旨在支持有潜力在研究和教育中成为学术榜样的早期职业教师。本项目由美国国家科学基金会改善本科STEM教育（IUSE）项目资助。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。

Current research suggests that undergraduate science students are engaging in ineffective communication regarding culturally controversial science topics. This ineffective communication can exacerbate divides between science and society. Unfortunately, most students do not receive proper instruction on how to communicate these topics in a productive manner, despite the significance of science communication as a crucial skill for undergraduate students to acquire. One of the challenges in addressing this issue is the absence of comprehensive evaluation methods, instructional frameworks, and materials to enhance students' communication abilities. This project seeks to serve the national interest and address this gap by developing evidence-based practices and instructional materials that teach undergraduate students studying biological sciences the principles of science communication and how to apply them when discussing culturally controversial science topics. By improving students' communication skills, this project seeks to enhance their impact as future scientists, science educators, and healthcare providers, ultimately fostering improved relations between science and society through more effective science communication.This project housed at Middle Tennessee State University will create the materials needed to advance undergraduate science communication education about Culturally Controversial Science Topics (CCSTs). Using the frameworks of cultural competence and expectancy value theory as well as the guiding principles of science communication, the specific objectives of the project are to (1) develop survey instruments to measure student communication education outcomes, (2) establish an evidence-based instructional framework with a set of best practices for CCST communication education, and (3) design evidence-based instructional materials for science instructors to use to improve undergraduates' CCST communication outcomes. To accomplish the objectives, the project team will build, pilot, and gather validity evidence for survey instruments that can be used to assess student confidence, knowledge, and ability communicating about CCSTs. Once instruments have been developed and validity evidence gathered for the measures, researchers will use the measures to assess the current CCST communication education outcomes of undergraduate students who are learning about CCSTs in 50 biology classes across the United States. To build an evidence based instructional framework, researchers will use triangulation methodology to identify best practices for teaching CCST communication. Researchers will use data from their observations of current instructional practices, interviews with students and instructors, and prior published science communication education literature to identify effective CCST communication education practices. Using the new framework, researchers will then design lessons to enhance students' CCST communication knowledge, confidence, and abilities and then use the new survey instruments to evaluate the lessons in undergraduate science classes. Further, researchers will facilitate a Course-based Research Experience (CRE) for students who will work on projects related to the data gathered for the CSST research. The success of the project will be assessed by the production and publication of the instruments, framework, and lessons that are shown to lead to better student communication outcomes. Additionally, an expert advisory board will review the project products and evaluate the evidence for their efficacy across different student groups. The results of the project will be disseminated through publications in peer reviewed science and science education journals as well as presentations at science and science education conferences. The research team will also create talks and infographics that describe the results of the study to be posted on media and social media platforms. This project has the potential to advance the field of science communication education by specifically addressing student communication about CCSTs, for which there is currently very little research. Ultimately, this project has the potential to help mitigate public polarization about CCSTs by training more of our future scientists to communicate more productively. The Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program is a National Science Foundation (NSF)-wide activity that supports early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education. This CAREER project is supported by NSF's Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) program.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.