A Survey on Undergraduate Research

An addendum to: Infusing Research into the Undergraduate Curriculum: From First-Year to Graduation

CAPCSD 2014Storkel, Brady, Blossom, & Meline

Participants were 38 students attending a freshman introduction to communication science and disorders course during the Fall of 2013.

Survey on Undergraduate Research These are questions about your present perspectives on research. Please answer the 10 questions according to how you feel at this time. The last 3 questions ask about your personal characteristics. 1. I would like an opportunity to do research in my undergraduate courses.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 2. I would rather not be a researcher.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 3. Research is not important in my chosen field of study.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 4. I expect to do research at some time in my career.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 5. Knowing how to do research is important to me.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 6. Research is important to society.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 7. My major field of study depends on research.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 8. Research is easy to do.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 9. Research experiences will help me contribute to my field of study.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 10. Research experiences will contribute to my knowledge and skills.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 11. What is your chosen field of study? _________________________________________ 12. What is your gender? (Circle one) Female Male 13. Are you a 1st-generation college student in your family? (Circle one) Yes No

Survey on Undergraduate Research

These are questions about your present perspectives on research. Please answer the 10 questions according to how you feel at this time. The last 3 questions ask about your personal characteristics. 1. I would like an opportunity to do research in my undergraduate courses.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 2. I would rather not be a researcher.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 3. Research is not important in my chosen field of study.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree

4. I expect to do research at some time in my career.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 5. Knowing how to do research is important to me.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 6. Research is important to society.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree

7. My major field of study depends on research.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 8. Research is easy to do.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 9. Research experiences will help me contribute to my field of study.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree 10. Research experiences will contribute to my knowledge and skills.

Strongly agree 1----------2----------3----------4----------5 Strongly disagree

11. What is your chosen field of study? SLP = 35 AUD = 1

12. What is your gender? (Circle one) Female = 33 Male = 5

13. Are you a 1st-generation college student in your family?

(Circle one) Yes = 10 No = 28

Reflections

• Responses were fairly consistent --- except for the responses to questions 2, 3, and 8.

• For questions 2, 3, and 8, responses were distributed across the continuum from strongly disagree to strongly agree.

2. I would rather not be a researcher.

• The mean response was 3.13, and the mode was 3.

• However, students responded at both ends of the continuum.

• The inconsistent responses probably reflect the students’ lack of research experience.

3. Research is not important in my chosen field of study.

• The mean response was 4.3, and the mode was 5.

• However, student’s responses were distributed from 2-5.

• Again, the students’ lack of research experience and limited knowledge regarding evidence-based practices are probably responsible for the uncertainty.

8. Research is easy to do.

• The mean response was 3.5, and the mode was 4.

• However, responses were distributed across the continuum from 1-5.

• Again, responses were inconsistent. Their lack of knowledge and experience is a likely cause.

Postscript

• In 2010, Mary Shapiro reported her use of research assignments in an undergraduate introduction to linguistics course.

• Her goal was to change attitudes.• The students engaged in limited and flawed

research activities, but the discussions that followed were designed to recognize the limitations and flaws.

• Though their research experiences were limited and flawed, the students’ attitudes about research changed for the better.

__________Shapiro, M. B. (2010). Using “bad”

undergraduate research to foster “good” attitudes. College Teaching, 58, 47-51.