Role-Identity Salience and Research Career Attitudes Among Undergraduate Science and Nonscience Majors

• In Event: The Role of Learning Environments in Supporting Underserved and Understudied Populations

Abstract

This study examined researcher role-identity salience and research career attitudes among nearly 7500 undergraduates. We also examined how both researcher role-identity salience and research career attitudes related to awareness of, interest, and involvement with research related activities. Our results may help explain how students’ identification with and their attitudes toward prospective occupational role-identities can contribute to their interest, awareness, and participation in scholarly activities and vice-versa. Asian students were most likely to know about, express interest in, and become involved with research activities. African American students least often experienced a mentorship or faculty supervised research. STEM majors and men were more interested in undergraduate research participation and had stronger researcher identity salience than non-STEM students or women.

Authors

• Brandon Joshua Okechukwu Nzekwe, Florida State University

• Susan Carol Losh, The Florida State University