Nature of Science Beliefs of Graduate Students in Research Apprenticeships

• In Event: 63.085 - Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: 63.085-1 - Fostering, Assessing, Mapping, and Enhancing Scientific Reasoning

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between authentic research experiences and the nature of science (NOS) beliefs of graduate students. Ninety-seven graduate students enrolled at a large Midwestern University completed a measure of NOS beliefs, a survey of their research experiences, and demographic information. Regressions indicated that NOS beliefs are related to the number of science courses completed and the amount of research conducted. In addition, the epistemic demand of the research was often more predictive of NOS beliefs than other variables. These findings suggest that the epistemic demand of an activity should be considered when planning interventions to align NOS beliefs, or when designing research experiences for graduate students.

Authors

• Jason Morphew, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Marlene A. Schommer-Aikins, Wichita State University