Different approaches for engaging undergraduates in research: Variable impacts on students’ self-efficacy, science research skills, and future goals

Approaches toward engaging undergraduates in scientific research have included research experiences based in faculty laboratories (FLREs), course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), and courses rooted in primary research literature that may be precursors to research experiences. We examined outcomes for undergraduate biology students enrolled in FLREs, CUREs, and a literature-based introduction to research seminar course. Students engaging with research that involved authentic, student-centered inquiry had significant increases in research skills, but little change in their self-efficacy. Students engaging with research in a more structured or guided experience did not exhibit the same gains in skills. Additionally, although they began with comparatively low self-efficacy scores, students enrolled in the seminar course increased in self-efficacy to levels equivalent to those of students engaging in FLREs. Across all types of engagement, students who reported a change in their future goals post-graduation tended to add pursuing a Ph.D. to their future plans-this was most evident in the seminar course. We therefore recommend an introduction to research seminar course for novice students toward building self-efficacy early in their careers as a way to prepare for-and potentially increase-engagement in CUREs and FLREs, and matching undergraduates with potential mentors for future research experiences.