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Tibbetts Y, Himmelberger ZM, Barron KE, Speicher MR, Hulleman CS. Learning Mindsets and Well-Being and Ill-Being Among Osteopathic Medical Students. JAMA Netw Open 2024; 7:e2418090. [PMID: 38874920 PMCID: PMC11179131 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.18090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Importance Given the high rates of burnout and associated negative mental health outcomes (eg, depression, suicidal ideation, substance abuse) among medical students and physicians, it is imperative to identify strategies for supporting the future health workforce, particularly when considering trends indicating a future shortage of physicians. Understanding the associations of medical school students' learning mindsets (eg, growth mindset, purpose and relevance, and sense of belonging) with indicators of well-being (eg, flourishing) and ill-being (eg, burnout) could provide a foundation for future research to consider when attempting to combat the negative mental health trends among medical students and physicians. Objectives To understand the associations of medical school students' learning mindsets (ie, their beliefs about themselves as learners and their learning environment) with critical student health outcomes (ie, well-being and ill-being). Design, Setting, and Participants This survey study used a nationally representative sample of first-year osteopathic medical school students across the US who responded to a survey of learning mindsets as well as measures of well-being and ill-being in fall 2022. Data were analyzed from January to April 2024. Main Outcomes and Measures Learning mindsets were categorized as growth mindset, purpose and relevance, and sense of belonging. Well-being was categorized as flourishing and resilience, and ill-being was categorized as burnout and psychological symptoms. Outcomes were regressed on learning mindset and demographics variables, and interactions of demographic variables and learning mindsets were assessed. Results A total of 7839 students were surveyed, and 6622 students (mean [SD] age, 25.05 [3.20]; 3678 [55.5%] women) responded and were included in analyses. The 3 learning mindsets were significantly associated with flourishing (growth mindset: b = 0.34; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.45; P < .001; purpose and relevance: b = 2.02; 95% CI, 1.83 to 2.20; P < .001; belonging uncertainty: b = -0.98; 95% CI, -1.08 to -0.89; P < .001) and resilience (growth mindset: b = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.40; P < .001; purpose and relevance: b = 1.62; 95% CI, 1.43 to 1.82; P < .001; belonging uncertainty: b = -1.50; 95% CI, -1.60 to -1.40; P < .001) well-being outcomes and burnout (growth mindset: b = -0.09; 95% CI, -0.11 to -0.07; P < .001; purpose and relevance: b = -0.29; 95% CI, -0.32 to -0.25; P < .001; belonging uncertainty: b = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.26 to 0.30; P < .001) and psychological symptoms (growth mindset: b = -0.22; 95% CI, -0.30 to -0.14; P < .001; purpose and relevance: b = -0.51; 95% CI, -0.64 to -0.38; P < .001; belonging uncertainty: b = 1.33; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.40; P < .001) ill-being outcomes, even when controlling for important demographic characteristics (eg, race and ethnicity, gender identity, age). Furthermore, several significant interactions indicated that these learning mindsets may be particularly salient for students from historically marginalized communities: there was a significant interaction between growth mindset and race and ethnicity (b = 0.58; 95% CI, 0.08 to 1.09, P = .02), such that growth mindset was more strongly associated with flourishing among American Indian or Alaska Native, Black, Latine, or Native Hawaiian students. Conclusions and Relevance These findings suggest that identifying strategies for supporting students' learning mindsets may be an effective way to support medical student well-being and reduce ill-being, particularly among students from historically marginalized backgrounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoi Tibbetts
- Motivate Lab, Harrisonburg, Virginia
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville
| | | | - Kenneth E. Barron
- Motivate Lab, Harrisonburg, Virginia
- James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia
| | - Mark R. Speicher
- American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Chris S. Hulleman
- Motivate Lab, Harrisonburg, Virginia
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville
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2
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Johansen MO, Eliassen S, Jeno LM. "Why is this relevant for me?": increasing content relevance enhances student motivation and vitality. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1184804. [PMID: 37842715 PMCID: PMC10569612 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1184804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The notion that motivation is imperative for students' psychological well-being and academic functioning is central to Self-Determination Theory (SDT). According to SDT, different types of motivations can co-occur to a various degree with separate outcomes, depending on the extent of experienced degree of autonomy. In the current study, we investigate how making a learning exercise more relevant for higher education STEM students can affect aspects of student functioning mediated through motivation. In a randomized experiment, results indicate that the students who received a more "relevant" assignment (experimental group) experienced more autonomous forms of motivation relative to the students who received a "generic" or "traditional" exercise (control group). Further, the experimental group reported higher levels of vitality and effort relative to the control group. Using a pre- and post-test design measuring changes in emotional affect during the learning activity, we found that the control group reported an increase in negative affect and a decrease in positive affect. Finally, path analysis showed significant relationships between the type of assignment provided and motivation and student functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Ole Johansen
- bioCEED – Centre of Excellence in Biology Education, Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Sigrunn Eliassen
- bioCEED – Centre of Excellence in Biology Education, Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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3
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Jackson A, Henry S, Jackman KM, Jones L, Kamangar F, Koissi N, Mehravaran S, Oni A, Perrino C, Sheikhattari P, Whitney E, Hohmann CF. A Student-Centered, Entrepreneurship Development (ASCEND) Undergraduate Summer Research Program: Foundational Training for Health Research. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2023; 22:ar13. [PMID: 36791147 PMCID: PMC10074269 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.21-11-0314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Increasing the participation of students of African descent and other minoritized populations in the scientific workforce is imperative in generating a more equitable biomedical research infrastructure and increasing national research creativity and productivity. Undergraduate research training programs have shown to be essential tools in retaining underrepresented minority (URM) students in the sciences and attracting them into STEM and biomedical careers. This paper describes an innovative approach to harness students' entrepreneurial desire for autonomy and creativity in a Summer Research Institute (SRI) that has served as an entry point into a multiyear, National Institutes of Health Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (NIH BUILD)-funded research training program. The SRI was designed as an 8-week, student-centered and course-based research model in which students select their own research topics. We test here the effects of SRI training on students' science self-efficacy and science identity, along with several other constructs often associated with academic outcomes in the sciences. The data shown here comprise analysis of four different training cohorts throughout four subsequent summers. We show significant gains in students' science self-efficacy and science identity at the conclusion of SRI training, as well as academic adjustment and sense of belonging. SRI participants also displayed substantially improved retention in their science majors and graduation rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avis Jackson
- Center for Predictive Analytics, Psychology Department, College of Liberal Arts, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251
| | - Sherita Henry
- Department of Nursing, Hood College, Frederick, MD 21701
| | - Kevon M. Jackman
- Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Laundette Jones
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health and Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Farin Kamangar
- Division of Research and Economic Development, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251
| | - Niangoran Koissi
- Department of Chemistry, School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Science (SCMNS), Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251
| | - Shiva Mehravaran
- ASCEND Center for Biomedical Research, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251
| | - Akinyele Oni
- Department of Biology, School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Science (SCMNS), Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251
| | - Carroll Perrino
- Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251
| | - Payam Sheikhattari
- Department of Public Health, Morgan State University and ASCEND Center for Biomedical Research, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251
| | - Erika Whitney
- Department of Biology, School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Science (SCMNS), Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251
| | - Christine F. Hohmann
- ASCEND Center for Biomedical Research, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251
- Department of Biology, School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Science (SCMNS), Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251
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Hecht CA, Latham AG, Buskirk RE, Hansen DR, Yeager DS. Peer-Modeled Mindsets: An Approach to Customizing Life Sciences Studying Interventions. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2022; 21:ar82. [PMID: 36282273 PMCID: PMC9727603 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.22-07-0143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Mindset interventions, which shift students' beliefs about classroom experiences, have shown promise for promoting diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Psychologists have emphasized the importance of customizing these interventions to specific courses, but there is not yet a protocol for doing so. We developed a protocol for creating customized "peer-modeled" mindset interventions that elicit advice from former students in videotaped interviews. In intervention activities, clips from these interviews, in which the former students' stories model the changes in thinking about challenge and struggle that helped them succeed in a specific course, are provided to incoming life sciences students. Using this protocol, we developed a customized intervention for three sections of Introductory Biology I at a large university and tested it in a randomized controlled trial (N = 917). The intervention shifted students' attributions for struggle in the class away from a lack of potential to succeed and toward the need to develop a better approach to studying. The intervention also improved students' approaches to studying and sense of belonging and had promising effects on performance and persistence in biology. Effects were pronounced among first-generation college students and underrepresented racial/ethnic minority students, who have been historically underrepresented in the STEM fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron A. Hecht
- Department of Psychology and Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Anita G. Latham
- Biology Instructional Office, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Ruth E. Buskirk
- Biology Instructional Office, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Debra R. Hansen
- Biology Instructional Office, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
| | - David S. Yeager
- Department of Psychology and Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712
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5
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Examining a utility value intervention among early adolescents: Trajectories of situational interest and boredom. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2022.102155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that a shockingly large fraction of the public is willing to ignore scientific judgements on issues such a vaccines and mask wearing. For far too many, scientific findings are viewed as what scientists believe, rather than as the product of an elaborate community process that produces reliable knowledge. This widespread misunderstanding should serve as a wake-up call for scientists, clearly demonstrating that the standard way that we teach science - as a large collection of "facts" that scientists have discovered about the world - needs major change. Three more ambitious and important goals for science education at all levels are outlined. In order of increasing difficulty, these are: (1) to provide all adults with an ability to investigate scientific problems as scientists do, using logic, experiment, and evidence; (2) to provide all adults with an understanding of how the scientific enterprise works - and why they should therefore trust the consensus judgements of science on issues like smoking, vaccination, and climate change; and (3) to provide all adults with the habit of solving their everyday problems as scientists do, using logic, experiment, and evidence. Although examples exist for attaining all of these goals, extensive education research will be needed to discover how best to teach the last two. I argue that such an effort is urgent, and that it can best begin by focusing on the introductory courses in biology and other science disciplines at the university level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Alberts
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, California, USA
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7
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Sutter CC, Hulleman CS, Givvin KB, Tucker M. Utility value trajectories and their relationship with behavioral engagement and performance in introductory statistics. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2021.102095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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8
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Thoman DB, Yap MJ, Herrera FA, Smith JL. Diversity Interventions in the Classroom: From Resistance to Action. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2021; 20:ar52. [PMID: 34546104 PMCID: PMC8715788 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.20-07-0143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
What goes into faculty decisions to adopt a classroom intervention that closes achievement gaps? We present a theoretical model for understanding possible resistance to and support for implementing and sustaining a diversity-enhancing classroom intervention. We propose, examine, and refine a "diversity interventions-resistance to action" model with four key inputs that help explain faculty's decision to implement (or not) an evidence-based intervention: 1) notice that underrepresentation is a problem, 2) interpret underrepresentation as needing immediate action, 3) assume responsibility, and 4) know how to help. Using an embedded mixed-methods design, we worked with a sample of 40 biology faculty from across the United States who participated in in-depth, semistructured, qualitative interviews and surveys. Survey results offer initial support for the model, showing that the inputs are associated with faculty's perceived value of and implementation intentions for a diversity-enhancing classroom intervention. Findings from qualitative narratives provide rich contextual information that illuminates how faculty think about diversity and classroom interventions. The diversity interventions-resistance to action model highlights the explicit role of faculty as systemic gatekeepers in field-wide efforts to diversify biology education, and findings point to strategies for overcoming different aspects of faculty resistance in order to scale up diversity-enhancing classroom interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin B. Thoman
- Department of Psychology and Center for Research in Mathematics and Science Education and
| | - Melo-Jean Yap
- Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120
| | - Felisha A. Herrera
- Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120
| | - Jessi L. Smith
- Faculty Affairs and Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO 80918
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9
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Weatherton M, Schussler EE. Success for All? A Call to Re-examine How Student Success Is Defined in Higher Education. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2021; 20:es3. [PMID: 33635125 PMCID: PMC8108506 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.20-09-0223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A central focus in science education is to foster the success of students who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). However, representation and achievement gaps relative to the majority still exist for minoritized students at all levels of science education and beyond. We suggest that majority groups defining the definitions and measures of success may exert "soft power" over minoritized student success. Using a hegemonic and critical race theory lens, we examined five years of research articles in CBE-Life Sciences Education to explore how success was defined and measured and what frameworks guided the definitions of student success. The majority of articles did not explicitly define success, inherently suggesting "everyone knows" its definition. The articles that did define success often used quantitative, academic outcomes like grade point average and exam scores, despite commonly cited frameworks with other metrics. When students defined success, they focused on different aspects, such as gaining leadership skills and building career networks, suggesting a need to integrate student voice into current success definitions. Using these results, we provide suggestions for research, policy, and practice regarding student success. We urge self-reflection and institutional change in our definitions of success, via consideration of a diversity of student voices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryrose Weatherton
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996
| | - Elisabeth E. Schussler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996
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10
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Zambrano J, Lee GA, Leal CC, Thoman DB. Highlighting Prosocial Affordances of Science in Textbooks to Promote Science Interest. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2020; 19:ar24. [PMID: 32559123 PMCID: PMC8711837 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.19-09-0176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The prevalent stereotype that scientific fields do not afford opportunities to fulfill goals of helping others deters student interest and participation in science. We investigated whether introductory college science textbooks that highlight the prosocial utility value of science can be used to change beliefs about the affordances of scientific work. In study 1, undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to read a science textbook chapter with added prosocial utility value expressed greater beliefs that the science topic afforded prosocial goals and increased interest in the scientific topic, compared with two control conditions. Mediation analysis demonstrated that interest was enhanced through increased beliefs that the topic afforded prosocial opportunities. Multiple group comparison tests indicated that underrepresented minority students (i.e., African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans) might benefit the most from efforts to strengthen prosocial affordance beliefs. In study 2, we conducted a brief landscape analysis of science textbooks and found that texts are missing opportunities to emphasize the prosocial utility value of science. We discuss recommendations for science educators, curriculum designers, and researchers who want to increase and broaden science participation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette Zambrano
- Rossier School of Education, University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-4035
| | - Garam Ann Lee
- College of Education, Michigan State University, East
Lansing, MI 48824
| | - Christina C. Leal
- Warner School of Education, University of Rochester,
Rochester, NY 14627
| | - Dustin B. Thoman
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University,
San Diego, CA 92182
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11
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Rosenzweig EQ, Harackiewicz JM, Priniski SJ, Hecht CA, Canning EA, Tibbetts Y, Hyde JS. Choose Your Own Intervention: Using Choice to Enhance the Effectiveness of a Utility-Value Intervention. MOTIVATION SCIENCE 2020; 5:269-276. [PMID: 32775540 DOI: 10.1037/mot0000113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Utility-value interventions, in which students are asked to make connections between course material and their lives, are useful for improving students' academic outcomes in science courses. These interventions are thought to be successful in part because the intervention activities afford students autonomy while they complete them, but no research has explored directly whether interventions that include more support for autonomy are more effective. In this study, the degree of choice incorporated in a utility-value intervention was systematically varied in order to test this possibility. We assigned college biology students (n = 406) to a high-choice utility-value intervention condition (choose between two formats- essay or letter- for each of 3 writing assignments), one of two low-choice intervention conditions (complete either an essay and then a letter, or vice versa, and choose a format for the third assignment), or a control condition (summarize course material 3 times). Students in the high-choice condition reported significantly higher perceived utility value and interest for biology course content compared to students in the low-choice conditions. There were also significant, but small, indirect effects of choice on students' final course grades and enrollment in the next course in the biology sequence via perceived utility value and interest. Results suggest that social-psychological interventions which include more choice are likely to be more effective than those which include less choice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Yoi Tibbetts
- Curry School of Education University of Virginia
| | - Janet S Hyde
- Department of Psychology and Department of Gender and Women's Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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12
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Eddy SL. Recent Research in Science Teaching and Learning. CBE LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION 2019; 18:fe5. [PMID: 31441718 PMCID: PMC6755306 DOI: 10.1187/cbe.19-07-0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The Current Insights feature is designed to introduce life science educators and researchers to current articles of interest in other social science and education journals. In this installment, I highlight three diverse research studies: one exploring what researchers actually mean when they talk about relevance; one describing the relationships between instructor mindset about intelligence and performance gaps in the classroom; and the last describing a novel short intervention to reduce student's perceptions of costs.
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Canning EA, Harackiewicz JM, Priniski SJ, Hecht CA, Tibbetts Y, Hyde JS. Improving Performance and Retention in Introductory Biology with a Utility-Value Intervention. JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 110:834-849. [PMID: 30294006 PMCID: PMC6168083 DOI: 10.1037/edu0000244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
One way to encourage performance and persistence in STEM fields is to have students write about the utility value (UV) or personal relevance of course topics to their life. This intervention has been shown to increase engagement and performance in introductory courses. However, questions remain about the longevity of the effects and how best to implement the intervention in terms of dosage and timing. We tested a UV intervention in the first semester of a two-semester introductory biology sequence. For each of three units across the semester, students (N = 577) were randomly assigned to receive either a UV writing assignment, in which they explained why course material was useful to them personally, or a control assignment, in which they summarized course material. This fully crossed design tested the effect of UV dosage level (0, 1, 2, or 3 UV assignments) as well as the effect of timing (e.g., UV first, control first). We found that students exposed to any dosage of UV earned higher grades in the course, were more likely to enroll in the second course of the biology sequence, and were less likely to abandon their STEM major than students who did not receive any UV assignments. In terms of timing, students with a history of poor performance benefitted from writing a UV essay in the beginning of the semester, whereas higher-performing students benefitted from a UV essay at the end of the semester. Recommendations for practice are discussed.
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14
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Tibbetts Y, Priniski SJ, Hecht CA, Borman GD, Harackiewicz JM. Different Institutions and Different Values: Exploring First-Generation Student Fit at 2-Year Colleges. Front Psychol 2018; 9:502. [PMID: 29695986 PMCID: PMC5904273 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
First-generation (FG) college students (students for whom neither parent has a 4-year degree) face a number of challenges as they attempt to obtain a post-secondary degree. They are more likely to come from working-class backgrounds or poverty (Reardon, 2011) and attend lower quality high schools (Warburton et al., 2001) while not benefiting from the guidance of a parent who successfully navigated the path to higher education. FG college students also contend with belonging or “fitting in” concerns due a perceived mismatch between their own values and the values implicit in institutions of higher education (Stephens et al., 2012a). Specifically, prior research has demonstrated that FG college students face an unseen disadvantage that can be attributed to the fact that middle-class norms of independence reflected in American institutions of higher education can be experienced as threatening by many FG students who have been socialized with more interdependent values commonly espoused in working-class populations. The present research examines this theory (cultural mismatch theory) in the understudied context of 2-year colleges and tests if a values-affirmation intervention (i.e., an intervention that has shown promise in addressing identity threats and belonging concerns) can be effective for FG college students at these 2-year campuses. By considering the tenets of cultural mismatch theory in the creation of the values-affirmation interventions we were able to vary different aspects of the intervention in order to examine how its effectiveness may depend on the nature and magnitude of a perceived cultural mismatch. Results from surveying faculty and students at 2-year colleges indicated that compared to traditional 4-year institutions, the norms of 2-year colleges and the motivations of FG students may be different. That is, FG student motives may be more consistent (and thus less mismatched) with the cultural context of 2-year colleges which could result in fewer belonging concerns when compared to FG students at 4-year institutions. This may carry implications for the efficacy of values-affirmation interventions and could help explicate why FG students in the current sample perceived a greater match with their college when they reflected on their interdependent values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoi Tibbetts
- Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Stacy J Priniski
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Cameron A Hecht
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Geoffrey D Borman
- Departments of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis and Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Judith M Harackiewicz
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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Harackiewicz JM, Priniski SJ. Improving Student Outcomes in Higher Education: The Science of Targeted Intervention. Annu Rev Psychol 2018; 69:409-435. [PMID: 28934586 PMCID: PMC6211287 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-122216-011725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Many theoretically based interventions have been developed over the past two decades to improve educational outcomes in higher education. Based in social-psychological and motivation theories, well-crafted interventions have proven remarkably effective because they target specific educational problems and the processes that underlie them. In this review, we evaluate the current state of the literature on targeted interventions in higher education with an eye to emerging theoretical and conceptual questions about intervention science. We review three types of interventions, which focus on the value students perceive in academic tasks, their framing of academic challenges, and their personal values, respectively. We consider interventions that (a) target academic outcomes (e.g., grades, major or career plans, course taking, retention) in higher education, as well as the pipeline to college, and (b) have been evaluated in at least two studies. Finally, we discuss implications for intervention science moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith M Harackiewicz
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706; ,
| | - Stacy J Priniski
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706; ,
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16
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Utility-value intervention with parents increases students' STEM preparation and career pursuit. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:909-914. [PMID: 28096393 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1607386114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During high school, developing competence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is critically important as preparation to pursue STEM careers, yet students in the United States lag behind other countries, ranking 35th in mathematics and 27th in science achievement internationally. Given the importance of STEM careers as drivers of modern economies, this deficiency in preparation for STEM careers threatens the United States' continued economic progress. In the present study, we evaluated the long-term effects of a theory-based intervention designed to help parents convey the importance of mathematics and science courses to their high-school-aged children. A prior report on this intervention showed that it promoted STEM course-taking in high school; in the current follow-up study, we found that the intervention improved mathematics and science standardized test scores on a college preparatory examination (ACT) for adolescents by 12 percentile points. Greater high-school STEM preparation (STEM course-taking and ACT scores) was associated with increased STEM career pursuit (i.e., STEM career interest, the number of college STEM courses, and students' attitudes toward STEM) 5 y after the intervention. These results suggest that the intervention can affect STEM career pursuit indirectly by increasing high-school STEM preparation. This finding underscores the importance of targeting high-school STEM preparation to increase STEM career pursuit. Overall, these findings demonstrate that a motivational intervention with parents can have important effects on STEM preparation in high school, as well as downstream effects on STEM career pursuit 5 y later.
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