Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-mlc7c Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T00:47:53.955Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

4 - Undergraduate Research

The Psychological View

from Part I - Theory and Research on Undergraduate Research

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 August 2022

By
Johannes Reitinger  and
Herbert Altrichter
Edited by
Harald A. Mieg ,
Elizabeth Ambos ,
Angela Brew ,
Dominique Galli  and
Judith Lehmann
Harald A. Mieg
Affiliation:
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Elizabeth Ambos
Affiliation:
Council on Undergraduate Research, Washington DC
Angela Brew
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Sydney
Dominique Galli
Affiliation:
Indiana University–Purdue University, Indianapolis
Judith Lehmann
Affiliation:
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Get access

Summary

This chapter looks beyond basic conceptions and practical implementations of undergraduate research by clarifying its nexus with psychological approaches, research-related dispositions playing a role in inquiry-based learning, as well as theoretical frameworks of competence and professional development. Further, the chapter systematically reflects contemporary studies on undergraduate research with a focus on psychological constructs. Methods for accessing and measuring features of undergraduate research and various effects attributed to doing undergraduate research are discussed. On this basis, a theoretical framework of undergraduate research is introduced. The chapter concludes with open questions concerning the theoretical foundation of undergraduate research from the psychological viewpoint, and with proposals for future research.

Keywords

competence developmentengagementexperience of researchpsychological approachesprofessional developmentresearch-related dispositionsscientific reasoning
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Undergraduate Research , pp. 46 - 58
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Altrichter, H., & Reitinger, J. (2019). Analyse von Unterricht durch forschendes Lernen: Wie Lehrpersonen aus ihrem Unterricht lernen können [Analysis of lessons trough inquiry-based learning: How teachers can learn from their lessons]. In Kiel, E., Herzig, B., Maier, U., & Sandfuchs, U. (Eds.), Handbuch Unterrichten in allgemein-bildenden Schulen (pp. 475–485). Klinkhardt UTB.Google Scholar
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Freeman.Google Scholar
Beck, C. W., & Blumer, L. S. (2012). Inquiry-based ecology laboratory courses improve student confidence and scientific reasoning skills. Ecosphere, 3(12). https://doi.org/10.1890/ES12-00280.1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blömeke, S., Gustafsson, J.-E., & Shavelson, R. J. (2015). Beyond dichotomies: Competence viewed as a continuum. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 223(1), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1027/2151-2604/a000194CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Borg, S. (2010). Language teacher research engagement. Language Teaching, 43(4), 391–429.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bowers, J., & Parameswaran, A. (2013). Differentiating undergraduate research. Teaching in Higher Education, 18(5), 453–464. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2012.752731CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brew, A., & Saunders, C. (2020). Making sense of research-based learning in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 87, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.102935CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brownell, S. E., Hekmat-Scafe, D. S., Singla, V., Chandler Seawell, P., Conklin Imam, J. F., Eddy, S. L., Stearns, T., & Cyert, M. S. (2015). A high-enrollment course-based undergraduate research experience improves student conceptions of scientific thinking and ability to interpret data. CBE–Life Sciences Education, 14(2). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.14-05-0092Google Scholar
Brownell, S. E., Kloser, M. J., Fukami, T., & Shavelson, R. (2012). Undergraduate biology lab courses: Comparing the impact of traditionally based “cookbook” and authentic research-based courses on student lab experiences. Journal of College Science Teaching, 41(4), 36–45.Google Scholar
Cater, M., Ferstel, S. D., & O’Neil, C. E. (2016). Psychometric properties of the inventory of student experiences in undergraduate research. The Journal of General Education, 65(3–4), 283–302. https://doi.org/10.5325/jgeneeduc.65.3-4.0283CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Damşa, C. I., & Nerland, M. (2016). Student learning through participation in inquiry activities: Two case studies in teacher and computer engineering education. Vocations and Learning, 9(3), 275–294. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186–016-9152-9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1999). A meta-analytic review of experiments examining the effects of extrinsic rewards on intrinsic motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 125(6), 627–668. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.125.6.627CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deicke, W., Gess, C., & Rueß, J. (2014). Increasing students’ research interests through research-based learning at Humboldt University. Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly, 35(1), 27–33.Google Scholar
Dowd, J. E., Roy, C. P., Thompson, R. J., & Reynolds, J. A. (2015). “On course” for supporting expanded participation and improving scientific reasoning in undergraduate thesis writing. Journal of Chemical Education, 92(1), 39–45. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed500298rCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Earl, L. M., & Katz, S. (2006). Leading schools in a data-rich world: Harnessing data for school improvement. Springer.Google Scholar
Egger, C., Miczajka, V., Bertsch, C., Ottlinger, T., & Mathiszik, J. (2020). Lehrerselbstwirksamkeit von Primarstufenstudierenden im Anleiten Forschenden Lernens. Zeitschrift für Hochschulentwicklung (ZfHE), 15(2), 167–186.Google Scholar
Engelmann, K., Neuhaus, B. J., & Fischer, F. (2016). Fostering scientific reasoning in education – meta-analytic evidence from intervention studies. Educational Research and Evaluation, 22(5–6), 333–349. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803611.2016.1240089Google Scholar
Feldman, A., Altrichter, H., Posch, P., & Somekh, B. (2018). Teachers investigate their work: An introduction to action research across the professions (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315398822Google Scholar
Fischer, F., Kollar, I., Ufer, S., Sodian, B., Hussmann, H., Pekrun, R., Neuhaus, B., Dorner, B., et al. (2014). Scientific reasoning and argumentation: Advancing an interdisciplinary research agenda in education. Frontline Learning Research, 2(3), 28–45. https://doi.org/10.14786/flr.v2i2.96Google Scholar
Furtmüller, G., Garaus, C., & Güttel, W. H. (2016). Even tiny rewards can motivate people to go the extra mile. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/06/even-tiny-rewards-can-motivate-people-to-go-the-extra-mileGoogle Scholar
Garaus, C., Furtmüller, G., & Güttel, W. H. (2015). The hidden power of small rewards: The effects of insufficient external rewards on autonomous motivation to learn. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 15(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2012.0284Google Scholar
Gess, C., Wessels, I., & Blömeke, S. (2017). Domain-specificity of research competencies in the social sciences: Evidence from differential item functioning. Journal for Educational Research Online, 9(2), 11–36.Google Scholar
Hernandez, P. R., Woodcock, A., Estrada, M., & Schultz, P. W. (2018). Undergraduate research experiences broaden diversity in the scientific workforce. BioScience, 68(3), 204–211. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/bix163CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hofhues, S. (2019). Inquiry-based learning with digital media. In Mieg, H. A. (Ed.), Inquiry-based learning – Undergraduate research: The German multidisciplinary experience (pp. 375–401). Springer (open access). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14223-0Google Scholar
Hung, D. (2002). Situated cognition and problem-based learning: Implications for learning and instruction with technology. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 13(4), 393–415.Google Scholar
Kazura, K., & Tuttle, H. (2010). Research based learning approach: Students perspective of skills obtained. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 37(3), 210–215.Google Scholar
Khoukhi, A. (2013). A structured approach to honours undergraduate research course, evaluation rubrics, and assessment. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 22(5), 630–650.Google Scholar
Kreber, C. (2010). Academics’ teacher identities, authenticity and pedagogy. Studies in Higher Education, 35(2), 171–194. https://doi.org/10.1080/0307570902953048CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kreijns, K., Vermeulen, M., Evers, A., & Meijs, C. (2019). The development of an instrument to measure teachers’ inquiry habit of mind. European Journal of Teacher Education, 42(3), 280–296.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuhn, D. (1999). A developmental model of critical thinking. Educational Researcher, 28(2), 16–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuhn, D. (2019). Critical thinking as discourse. Human Development, 62(3), 146–164. https://doi-org.uaccess.univie.ac.at/10.1159/000500171CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kuhn, D., Schauble, L., & Garcia-Mila, M. (1992). Cross-domain development of scientific reasoning. Cognition and Instruction, 9(4), 285–332.Google Scholar
Kusurkar, R. A., Croiset, G., & Ten Cate, O. T. J. (2011). Twelve tips to stimulate intrinsic motivation in students through autonomy-supportive classroom teaching derived from Self-Determination Theory. Medical Teacher, 33, 978–982.Google Scholar
Laurens, S., Hunter, A. B., Seymour, E., Thiry, H., & Melton, G. (2010). Undergraduate research in the sciences: Engaging students in real science. Wiley.Google Scholar
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991/2009). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Löhner, S., van Joolingen, W. R., Savelsbergh, E. R., & van Hout-Wolters, B. (2005). Students’ reasoning during modeling in an inquiry learning environment. Computers in Human Behavior, 21(3), 441–461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2004.10.037Google Scholar
McDevitt, A. L., Patel, M. V., Rose, B., & Ellison, A. M. (2016). Insights into student gains from undergraduate research using pre- and post-assessments. BioScience, 66(12), 1070–1078. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biw141Google Scholar
Mieg, H. A. (2019a). Forms of research within strategies for implementing undergraduate research. ZfHE, 14(1), 79–94.Google Scholar
Mieg, H. A. (Ed.). (2019b). Inquiry-based learning – Undergraduate research: The German multidisciplinary experience. Springer (open access). https://doi.org/10.1007/978–3-030–14223-0Google Scholar
Murray, J. L. (2017). Undergraduate research for student engagement and learning. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315692159CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nagda, B. A., Gregerman, S. R., Jonides, J., von Hippel, W., & Lerner, J. S. (1998). Undergraduate student–faculty research partnerships affect student retention. The Review of Higher Education, 22(1), 55–72. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.1998.0016CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olimpo, J. T. T., Pevey, R. S. S., & McCabe, T. M. M. (2019). Incorporating an interactive statistics workshop into an introductory biology Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) enhances students’ statistical reasoning and quantitative literacy skills. Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education, 19(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v19i1.1450Google Scholar
Ouellette, D., Zottmann, J., Bolzer, M., Fischer, F., & Fischer, M. R. (2017). Investigating the interplay of epistemological beliefs and scientific reasoning and argumentation. In Laitko, H., Mieg, H., & Parthey, H. (Eds.), Forschendes Lernen: Wissenschaftsforschung Jahrbuch 2016 (pp. 137–151). Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Berlin.Google Scholar
Palmer, R. J., Hunt, A. N., Neal, M., & Wuetherick, B. (2015). Mentoring, undergraduate research, and identity development: A conceptual review and research agenda. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 23(5), 411–426. https://doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2015.1126165Google Scholar
Paseka, A., & Hinzke, J.-H. (2018). Professionalisierung durch Forschendes Lernen!? [Professional development through inquiry-based learning!?]. In Leonhard, T., Kosinár, J., & Reintjes, Ch. (Eds.), Praktiken und Orientierungen in der Lehrerbildung (pp. 191–206). Klinkhardt.Google Scholar
Patel, C. (2017). Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger’s Situated Learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Routledge.Google Scholar
Pedaste, M., Mäeots, M., Siiman, L. A., de Jong, T., van Riesen, S. A. N., Kamp, E. T., Manoli, C. C., Zacharia, Z. C., & Tsourlidaki, E. (2015). Phases of inquiry-based learning: Definitions and the inquiry cycle. Educational Research Review, 14, 47–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.02.003CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reitinger, J. (2014). Beyond reflection: Thinking outside the box of a necessary but not sufficient condition for successful education in a heterogeneous world. In Hollick, D., Neißl, M., Kramer, M., & Reitinger, J. (Eds.), Heterogenität in pädagogischen Handlungsfeldern. Perspektiven. Befunde. Konzeptionelle Ansätze (pp. 39–59). Kassel University Press.Google Scholar
Reitinger, J. (2016). On the nature and empirical accessibility of inquiry learning: The Criteria of Inquiry Learning Inventory (CILI). In Reitinger, J., Haberfellner, C., Brewster, E., & Kramer, M. (Eds.), Theory of Inquiry Learning Arrangements: Research, reflection, and implementation (pp. 39–59). Kassel University Press.Google Scholar
Reitinger, J., Haberfellner, C., & Keplinger, G. (2016). An overview of the Theory of Inquiry Learning Arrangements (TILA). In Reitinger, J., Haberfellner, C., Brewster, E., & Kramer, M. (Eds.), Theory of Inquiry Learning Arrangements: Research, reflection, and implementation (pp. 1–12). Kassel University Press.Google Scholar
Rogers, M., & McDowell, W. G. (2015). Assessing the impact of undergraduate research on graduation rates at the University of Georgia. Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly, 36(2), 33–38. Retrieved from www.cur.org/assets/1/7/summer08CroweBrakke1.PDFGoogle Scholar
Russell, S. H., Hancock, M. P., & McCullough, J. (2007). Benefits of undergraduate research experiences. Science, 316(5824), 548–549. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1140384CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2004). An overview of Self-Determination Theory: An organismic-dialectical perspective. In Deci, E. L. & Ryan, R. M. (Eds.), Handbook of self-determination research (pp. 3–36). University of Rochester Press.Google Scholar
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-Determination Theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Sadler, T. D., & McKinney, L. (2010). Scientific research for undergraduate students: A review of the literature. Journal of College Science Teaching, 39(5), 43–49.Google Scholar
Saunders-Steward, K. S., Gyles, P. D. T., & Shore, B. M. (2012). Student outcomes in inquiry instruction: A literature-derived inventory. Journal of Advanced Academics, 23(1), 5–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/1932202X11429860Google Scholar
Saunders-Steward, K. S., Gyles, P. D. T., Shore, B. M., & Bracewell, R. J. (2015). Student outcomes in inquiry: Students’ perspectives. Learning Environments Research, 18, 289–311. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984–015-9185-2CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schneider, M., & Preckel, F. (2017). Variables associated with achievement in higher education: A systematic review of meta-analyses. Psychological Bulletin, 143(6), 565–600.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Seyfried, C., & Reitinger, J. (2013). Kompetenz und Reflexion: Zum Begriffsverständnis [Competence and reflection: Definitions]. In Weinberger, A. (Ed.), Reflexion im pädagogischen Kontext (pp. 59–70). LIT Verlag.Google Scholar
Seymour, E., Hunter, A.-B., Laursen, S. L., & DeAntoni, T. (2004). Establishing the benefits of research experiences for undergraduates in the sciences: First findings from a three-year study. Science Education, 88(4), 493–534. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.10131Google Scholar
Shore, B. M., Chichekian, T., Syer, C. A., Aulls, M. W., & Frederiksen, C. H. (2011). Planning, enactment, and reflection in inquiry-based learning: Validating the McGill Strategic Demands of Inquiry Questionnaire. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 10, 315–337. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763–011-9301-4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, R. H., & Sunstein, C. R. (2008). Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. Yale University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266267110000301Google Scholar
Vygotsky, L. S. (1997). The historical meaning of the crisis in psychology: A methodological investigation. In Rieber, R. W., Wollock, J. L., & Veer, R. van der (Eds.), The collected works of L. S. Vygotsky (pp. 233–343). Plenum Press.Google Scholar
Wayment, H. A., & Dickson, K. L. (2008). Increasing student participation in undergraduate research benefits students, faculty, and department. Teaching of Psychology, 35, 194–197.Google Scholar
Wessels, I., Gess, C., & Deicke, W. (2019). Competence development through inquiry-based learning. In Mieg, H. A. (Ed.), Inquiry-based learning –Undergraduate research: The German multidisciplinary experience (pp. 59–69). Springer (open access). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14223-0CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wessels, I., Rueß, J., Jenßen, L., Gess, C., & Deicke, W. (2018). Beyond cognition: Experts’ views on affective-motivational research dispositions in the social sciences. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(33). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01300Google Scholar
Weston, T. J., & Laursen, S. L. (2015). The Undergraduate Research Student Self-Assessment (URSSA): Validation for use in program evaluation. CBE–Life Sciences Education, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.14-11-0206Google Scholar
Whipple, E. E., Hughes, A., & Bowden, S. (2015). Evaluation of a BSW research experience: Improving student research competency. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 35(4), 397–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/08841233.2015.1063568CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willison, J., & O’Regan, K. (2007). Commonly known, commonly not known, totally unknown: A framework for students becoming researchers. Higher Education Research & Development, 26(4), 393–409. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360701658609Google Scholar
Wilson, A. E., Pollock, J. L., Billick, I., Domingo, C., Fernandez-Figueroa, E. G., Nagy, E. S., Steury, T. D., & Summers, A. (2018). Assessing science training programs: Structured undergraduate research programs make a difference. BioScience, 68(7), 529–534. https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy052Google Scholar
Wilson, C. D., Taylor, J. A., Kowalski, S. M., & Carlson, J. (2010). The relative effects and equity of inquiry-based and commonplace science teaching on students’ knowledge, reasoning, and argumentation. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 47(3), 276–301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolf, L. W. (2018). Undergraduate research as engaged student learning. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2018(154), 75–85. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.20293Google Scholar
Wulf, C. (2019). “From teaching to learning”: Characteristics and challenges of a student-centered learning culture. In Mieg, H. A. (Ed.), Inquiry-based learning – Undergraduate research: The German multidisciplinary experience (pp. 47–55). Springer (open access). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14223-0Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×