Abstract
Research has shown that students bring naïve scientific conceptions to learning situations which are often incongruous with accepted scientific explanations. These preconceptions are frequently determined to be misconceptions; consequentially instructors spend time to remedy these beliefs and bring students' understanding of scientific concepts to acceptable levels. It is reasonable to assume that students also maintain preconceptions about the processes of authentic scientific research and its associated activities. This study describes the most commonly held preconceptions of authentic research activities among students with little or no previous research experience. Seventeen undergraduate science majors who participated in a ten week research program discussed, at various times during the program, their preconceptions of research and how these ideas changed as a result of direct participation in authentic research activities. The preconceptions included the belief that authentic research is a solitary activity which most closely resembles the type of activity associated with laboratory courses in the undergraduate curriculum. Participants' views showed slight maturation over the research program; they came to understand that authentic research is a detail-oriented activity which is rarely successfully completed alone. These findings and their implications for the teaching and research communities are discussed in the article.
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Appendices
Appendix A: Modified Rubba's NOSK (1981) survey instrument to determine baseline understandings of participants' views on authentic inquiry and process
Directions: For the following questions, please answer using a number between 1 and 10, where 1 indicates that you strongly disagree, 5 indicates no opinion, and 10 indicates that you strongly agree.
1) Scientific claims are based solely on observations on natural phenomena. ______
2) Scientific theories and models are changeable. ______
3) Scientific theories and laws are equivalent. ______
4) There is only one established and accepted scientific method by which experiments are completed. ______
5) The meaning of scientific knowledge is socially mediated. ______
6) Science relies solely on empirical evidence to move forward. ______
7) Theories in science can be interpreted in different ways. ______
8) Scientific theories are based on scientific laws. ______
9) Data, when viewed by different scientists, can be interpreted in different ways. ______
10) Scientific knowledge proves all scientific claims. ______
11) Scientific theories can be changed to accommodate newly discovered phenomena. ______
12) Scientific laws are not changeable.______
13) Science, as a process, is objective in nature. ______
14) Scientific theories are truth statements. ______
15) Scientific theories are well-substantiated. ______
16) Current and future scientific investigations are based on current theories. ______
17) Theories are not changeable. ______
18) Science is not culturally influenced. ______
19) Science is a creative process. ______
20) Science is a culture unto itself. ______
21) For scientific results to be valid, experiments must be run consistently by different scientists. ______
22) Any difference in outcome of experiments is directly related to the scientist performing the experiments. ______
Appendix B: Interview protocols used to determine preconceptions of authentic inquiry, origins of the preconceptions, and changes to preconceptions
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Interview 1 (week two of program)
Provide a definition of science.
What are the outcomes of scientific research? What are the goals of scientific research?
What are the steps of research?
Describe your ideas of what research is and the process by which it occurs. Where do these ideas originate?
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Interview 2 (week four of program)
Do you perceive a difference in the process of research in the social versus the physical sciences? What about the outcomes of research in these two areas?
What is the role of preconceptions in scientific research? Do these ideas affect data interpretation? If so, in what ways? What is the basis of these preconceptions?
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Interview 3 (week six of program)
What amount of creativity is required in scientific research?
Let's revisit your definition of science from interview one. Has it changed? If so how? If not, why not?
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Interview 4 (week eight of program)
Do you view yourself as a scientist? Why or why not?
What is your perception of what scientists do? Has this idea changed based on your experiences? Explain.
Do you maintain your ideas about the goals/outcomes of scientific research? What about the process of research?
Has participating in this program influenced your skills toward scientific thinking? If so in what ways? If not why not?
Revisiting the discussion from the first interview 8 weeks ago, what influences led you to believe as you did then? Do you perceive these influences differently now?
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Cartrette, D.P., Melroe-Lehrman, B.M. Describing Changes in Undergraduate Students’ Preconceptions of Research Activities. Res Sci Educ 42, 1073–1100 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-011-9235-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-011-9235-4