The "Contextual Lab Effect": Research Lab Peer Beliefs About Altruism in Science Predict Students' Science Research Interest

• In Event: 31.091 - Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: 31.091-4 - Explorations in Student Interest and Self-Concept

Abstract

Undergraduate research experiences (UREs) provide a socialization context for shaping students’ science interest. Students learn about the culture of science from lab peers, and we predict that peers’ beliefs about science directly affect students’ interest. We recruited 134 students from 32 science faculty laboratories for a prospective longitudinal study. Using multilevel modeling to account for clustering of students within labs, we found that the contextual lab effect of peers’ altruistic science affordance beliefs (at Time 1) significantly predicted students' STEM interest (at Time 2), over and above effects of students’ own beliefs. This effect was stronger for underrepresented minorities than White students. These findings offer theoretical advancement to understanding science interest development and socialization in UREs.

Authors

• Mark Katayama, University of California - Riverside

• Gregg Muragishi, California State University - Long Beach

• Dustin Thoman, San Diego State University

• Jessi L. Smith, Montana State University