Me? A Scientist? Closing the Gap in the Disconnect Students Feel From Science Learning

• In Event: Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Motivation, Engagement, and Identity

Abstract

Students feel disconnected from science because of their beliefs that success in science depends on exceptional talent, which negatively impacts their motivation to learn. We tested a novel story-based instruction that models how scientists succeed through failures and struggles to bridge the gap between students and science. High school students read one of three types of stories about eminent scientists that described how the scientists struggled intellectually or in their personal lives, or made great discoveries. Results indicated that more students exposed to struggle stories felt connected to the scientists than those who were not. The use of struggle stories provides a promising and implementable instructional approach that can improve student motivation in science learning.

Authors

• Janet Naju Ahn, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Myra Luna-Lucero, Teachers College, Columbia University

• John Park, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Marianna Lamnina, Teachers College, Columbia University

• Xiaodong Lin, Teachers College, Columbia University