Often prevalent in the sciences, undergraduate research experiences (UREs) are highly beneficial engaged learning experiences in higher education. Though the benefits of UREs are well established, there is little information about which students participate in these experiences and the pathways they take to become engaged in them. This study…

This case study explores undergraduate students' ideas about, behaviors regarding, experiences with, and application of information literacy (IL) concepts and how they apply these understandings in their own research processes. Students from an undergraduate Honors Thesis Preparation course completed a pre- and post-questionnaire in which they…

The purpose of this study was to assess and describe the status of program evaluation within the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) sites. The National Science Foundation's REU program supports thousands of undergraduates annually in hands-on, immersive research experiences under the mentorship of…

To tackle today's most challenging problems, we must explore effective and scalable ways to train the next generation in leading the design and research of high-impact solutions. In addition to core design-research skills (i.e. prototyping techniques and research methodologies), learners must also develop the metacognitive skills necessary for…

Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) have become more commonly incorporated in laboratory courses in undergraduate education. Because CUREs incorporate research within the context of a course, the benefits of mentored research (self-efficacy, science identity, persistence, and more) are extended to each student enrolled. CUREs…

In higher education today, there are various programs aimed at improving student retention and graduation success. These programs include both academic and non-academic initiatives aimed at increasing student engagement. One such high impact practice is undergraduate research. There has been an increase in the number of undergraduate research…

Doctoral programs experience low attrition rates and with keeping this in mind, it is important to address the challenges and barriers preventing students from reaching their academic goals. The purpose of this study is to investigate knowledge sharing behaviors and types of knowledge being shared among doctoral students and whether this process…

STEM graduate students go through various stages in their development as researchers. Specifically, Ph.D. students are expected to complete coursework, work on their research, help with projects in the lab they are working in, maintain equipment, mentor other researchers, and fulfill departmental requirements. In this dissertation, I have explored…

Career and technical education (CTE) has existed for over a century involving several legislative transformations, including a name change, to create a positive reputation in the educational community. Although these transformations have deconstructed some negative perceptions, it has caused a lack of awareness among parents and students. This…

Many institutions of higher education offer research opportunities for undergraduates, but community college students often do not get to benefit from this high-impact educational practice. There are several reasons for this problem, including that community college faculty and students have limited time availability for research and the mission…

Physics education research to date has predominantly focused on the undergraduate level. This has left critical avenues of research in graduate education relatively understudied and has motivated much of my research. Numerous studies across the education research landscape have analyzed undergraduate admissions practices, but few have critically…

Effective science communication is a common goal scientists share, but explicit science communication curriculum is lacking in undergraduate science programs. Although course-based research experiences (CUREs) can provide opportunities for students to practice their communication skills, the literature lacks consistent investigations of oral…

This qualitative study was designed to add to educators' understanding of veteran student success and offer ways to reframe how they measure veteran student success. Currently, university leaders tend to measure veteran student success using traditional metrics such as retention and graduation rates. This study involved examining whether there are…

Many research experiences of counselor educators began during their Ph.D. programs. However, the counselor education and supervision field has minimal research that highlights the researcher identity development of Black women related to the transition of becoming a researcher. As the number of Black women who enter counselor education and…

In this dissertation, I present readers with three studies about the ways in which science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research experiences impact undergraduate learning, perspectives, and academic/career activities. In the first two studies I focus on this topic by investigating the ways in which undergraduates were impacted…