Improving Undergraduate Research Experiences for STEM Majors and Pre-Service Teachers via Berkeley Undergraduate Research Evaluation Tools (BURET)

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Berkeley Undergraduate Research Evaluation Tools (BURET) project will explore how undergraduate research experiences (UREs) in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) help students develop an understanding of scientific research. Across the U.S., many students engage in UREs each year, and universities dedicate substantial resources to supporting these programs. However, there are relatively few studies about the benefits for students in terms of their learning gains. In response to this deficiency, the BURET project will develop methods to track STEM undergraduate learning in UREs, study how participating in UREs prepares pre-service teachers to guide K-12 students in inquiry-based learning, and develop materials to train graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to be effective mentors to undergraduate research students. The results from this work will provide evidence for improving existing STEM education and teacher education programs, and broadening support for undergraduate research. The BURET project will study and improve UREs through the following specific aims: (1) Develop, refine, and test tools to assess how students integrate understanding of scientific practices and content while participating in UREs, (2) characterize how undergraduate researchers and pre-service teachers develop an integrated understanding of scientific practices and content over time, and (3) explore interventions for improving learning of scientific practices and content for undergraduate researchers. The project will use a mixed methods approach with surveys, interviews, and observations to study both the outcomes of UREs for STEM majors and the effects of incorporating UREs in teacher education on inquiry-based K-12 teaching practices. The project team will share findings across STEM departments at UC Berkeley via periodic workshops to improve the structure, learning goals, and evaluation of UREs. The Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program is providing co-funding for this project in recognition of its alignment with the broader STEM pre-service teacher education research goals of the Noyce effort.