ERIC Number: EJ1383615
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-231X
EISSN: EISSN-1943-4898
How Do Students Interact with the Primary Scientific Literature in an Undergraduate Science Program?
Hou, By Yi; Verkade, Heather; van Driel, Jan
Journal of College Science Teaching, v52 n3 p55-66 Jan-Feb 2023
The ability to read, understand, and interpret primary scientific literature is an essential skill for undergraduate students in science. This study aimed to provide a detailed understanding of how second- and third-year undergraduate students in a biochemistry and molecular biology major at the University of Melbourne in Australia feel about reading research articles and how often they are expected to do so. Teachers' expectations of the students' use of literature in their assessment tasks were compared with the experiences of students with their reading of the literature. There was a clear increase in the confidence and reported skills of third-year students, as well as an increase in the importance they see in reading the literature, compared with the second-year students. This increase was matched by much higher teacher expectations that students would read the literature for their assessment tasks. This expectation can be seen in the shift from a low proportion of relatively low-level literature "understand" interactions on Bloom's revised taxonomy to a larger proportion of marks for higher-level "analyze." A more guided approach with second-year students would be beneficial.
Descriptors: Science Education, Scientific Research, Undergraduate Students, Student Attitudes, Research Utilization, Self Esteem, Age Differences, Foreign Countries, Reading Ability, Reading Strategies
National Science Teaching Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: https://www.nsta.org/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A