Supporting Student Interest and Domain Identification in Science Majors: Faculty Perceptions of First-Year College Students’ Domain Identification and Interest Development

• In Event: Roundtable Session 30
  In Roundtable Session: Science Education in Higher Ed

Abstract

This exploratory qualitative study examines how instructors of first year college students perceive students’ development of domain identification (DI) and interest in biochemistry and physics and how they actively support this development. The study also compares how instructors and first year students perceive identification with and interest in a science domain. The faculty believed that students’ DI and interest developed from high school experiences and could be supported by explicitly teaching them critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in the field; whereas students described their DI and interest to be based in prior experiences, but focused toward the relevance of their major to future career and personal goals. This study highlights potential gaps between the perceptions of students and instructors.

Authors

• Chloe Ruff, Gettysburg College

• Brett D. Jones, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University