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Reading primary research literature is an essential skill for scientists. However, the high complexity of research papers may pose a barrier to the development of scientific literacy. In semi-structured interviews, we explore how 33 biologists including undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers approach reading an unfamiliar scientific paper. We find that some readers are data-centric, focusing on their own critical evaluation of the data presented, whereas others adopt a more narrative-centric approach, relying on the descriptions of authors to inform their understanding. There was a bias towards undergraduates adopting the narrative-centric approach and researchers adopting the data-centric approach. All postdoctoral researchers and academics prioritised critical interpretation of the data, indicating this is a characteristic of experienced scientific readers. The ability to demonstrate scientific reading skills was context-dependent, particularly with respect to time available and whether a paper aligns well with a reader's specialist area of knowledge. Inexperienced readers often lacked sufficient prior knowledge on which to base their reading, which represented a barrier to their engagement. We make recommendations for how scientific literacy should be developed within undergraduate teaching and beyond, noting that 'one-off' teaching strategies are insufficient when the development of scientific reading skills is a career-long process.

This article presents a simple, cognitive theory of science and learning. The first section of the paper develops the theory's two main propositions: (i) A wide range of scientific activities rely heavily on one type of reasoning, hypothetical thinking, and (ii) This type of reasoning is also useful to students for learning science content. The second section of the paper presents a taxonomy of multiple-choice questions that use hypothetical thinking and the third section of the paper tests the theory using data from a college biology course. As expected by the theory, student responses to 24 scientific reasoning questions were consistent with a one-dimensional psychometric construct. Student responses to the scientific reasoning questions explained 36% of the variance in exam grades. Several directions for additional research are identified, including studying the psychometric structure of scientific thinking in more detail, performing randomized, controlled experiments to demonstrate a causal relationship between scientific thinking and learning, and identifying the relative contribution of other factors to success in college.

Students often come to college with a limited understanding of how to ethically incorporate and cite source materials in their writing, and this is commonly cited as the leading reason for plagiarism. Studies have shown that students in STEM are more apt to plagiarize as compared to students in the humanities or social sciences, so they are an ideal population for looking at causes of plagiarism. The goal of this study was to examine college STEM student self-reported frequencies of plagiarism, ability to recognize instances of plagiarism, and justifications for why certain acts of plagiarism may or may not be acceptable. Surveys were collected from 965 STEM students taking an introductory biology class. The majority of freshmen surveyed admitted to some degree of plagiarism and found it difficult to recognize certain types of plagiarism. Juniors and seniors were less likely to report any form of plagiarism and are better able to recognize specific types, supporting previous work that point at lack of experience as the reason for most plagiarism in college. However, students at all levels were confused about the acceptability of some examples of plagiarism, such as reusing the same paper in multiple classes and some students point to external factors like grading practices in previous courses as motivators for certain types of plagiarism. Fully understanding where students still struggle to recognize plagiarism and their motivations for committing certain types of plagiarism will help in creating strategies to mitigate this common problem.

There is much anecdotal evidence of the benefits of fieldwork, but a small amount of research has been carried out on the value of fieldwork for student learning. Existing studies have focused on analysing fieldwork in mostly disciplinary and national contexts and the effects of interdisciplinary fieldwork on student learning have not been fully analysed. This paper aims to fill this gap by providing empirical evidence of the impact interdisciplinarity and internationality have on student learning while carrying out fieldwork. The case study consists of three field courses in Portugal in which biology, geography and geology students from Germany and Portugal took part. Based on a group interview with twelve students, their experiences, perceived learning outcomes and overall success of the fieldwork are evaluated. The results support the initial assumptions that interdisciplinary and international fieldwork adds value above and beyond the traditional field experience, and has a positive effect on the learning experience of the students. The students agree they have learned to better define their own study field and the interconnections with other disciplines. They also reported improved communication skills and methodological abilities and now feel better prepared to meet academic challenges and careers beyond campus.

Although most students in nonmajor biology courses will not enter careers in science, they will need a working understanding of biology and how it relates to their lives to make informed decisions on important topics that will affect their lives, including food, environment, energy, and health. This research seeks to improve on nonmajors' understanding of biology and how it relates to their personal lives. This study was conducted in a biology course for nonmajors at a large urban university in the mid-South. Students were asked to provide written responses and thoughts on a curated set of popular science articles. Student participants provided a total of three article reviews and two reflection papers over the course of 1 semester. These data were qualitatively coded and assessed for recurring themes both on an individual student level as well as across student cases. Our findings suggest that the students who were able to establish personal connections to biology through reading and reflection were more likely to form an interest and understanding of biology as a whole over the course of the semester.

As key components of self-regulated learning, metacognition and goal orientation have been tied to improvements in academic achievement. Some research supports a bidirectional relationship between metacognition and goal orientation in which they promote each other as well as learning outcomes. We created a learning philosophy assignment (LP) to encourage students' consideration of their learning strategies and goals resulting in a record of students' metacognition. Research suggests that low-achieving students may have different metacognitive capabilities and learning goals and as such may be differentially impacted by the assignment. This paper considers the content of the LPs. Students were split into achievement quartiles to explore any patterns in metacognition or learning goals distinct to achievement level. Our content analysis confirms that the LP was successful in documenting metacognition and learning goals in all students. There were some differences related to achievement level.

Recent development in policy and learning theory encourages higher education institutions to send their students out of campus and into work placements. In this paper, we report on students' engagement with various aspects of knowing through practice in work placements. We employed focus group discussions to gather students' accounts of their knowing in the three higher education programmes: Teacher Education, Aqua Medicine, and Music Performance. The students' accounts of knowing were analysed as personal epistemologies. Thereby, we aimed to focus on how enacted practices in work develop students' appraisals of knowing and subjectivities. Three prominent epistemologies were present across all three student groups: professional judgment, professional practice, and professional identity. After the work placements, the students better understand how to enact their knowledge and what knowledge to pursue further. Based on these findings, we hold that there are key educational processes that arise in the interplay between students' situated enactment of practices, knowing, and personal epistemologies through work placements, and propose a conceptual model to frame students' learning in work placements.

Relating mathematics learned in the classroom to real situations increases student motivation and enhances learning. In this paper, we provide an example of a classroom application of calculus to physiology in two courses: "Differential Equations" and "Calculus I for Biology and Medicine." We designed and implemented a project that uses calculus to model the volume, flow, and pressure of air inside the lungs of a patient receiving positive pressure ventilation. After comparing mathematical models to a mechanically ventilated high-fidelity breathing simulator, students reported heightened interest in, and a greater appreciation for, the relevance of the calculus in both courses.

Student Engagement (SE) refers to the extent to which a student participates in academic and non-academic activities, invests in and commits to learning, belonging and identification with the educational institution. Despite the relevance of SE for students' success, a few valid and reliable instruments have been developed. This study presents the Italian validation of the University Student Engagement Inventory (USEI), which adopts both a 3 first-order conceptualization of the SE and a second-order construct (engagement). The paper reports the psychometric analyses (test-retest reliability, construct, convergent, discriminant validities, internal consistency) on a validation sample of 628 Italian university students from 2 areas of study (psychology and biology). Criterion validity was assessed in relation to students' drop-out intention, academic achievements, Grade Point Average (GPA) and motivation. Invariance analysis was performed for gender and area of studies. Results showed that the USEI presented a good test-retest reliability and factorial construct validity (both for the three-factor and one-factor models), it positively predicted students' academic motivation, GPA and academic achievements, and negatively intention to drop out. The results indicate that the USEI can produce valid data on SE in the Italian context and may have implications for assessing SE and implementing intervention programs.

This paper describes the structure and activities of READ (Reading Effectively Across the Disciplines), a pilot initiative to improve students' critical reading skills, disciplinary literacy and academic success. READ employs a multimodal design that consists of faculty training in disciplinary literacy instruction and curricular enhancement, development and implementation of active reading assignments and assessments, peer-led team learning, and the dissemination of discipline-specific teaching and learning resources on an Open Lab site to provide an interactive teaching and learning environment for students and faculty. Empirical evidence of the initial effectiveness of the pilot in three gateway courses in Biology, Electromechanical Engineering Technology, and Marketing showed improvement in student pass rates after implementation of reading strategies and instructional approaches that guide students through the reading process.

This paper explores the effect of a paired lab course on students' course outcomes in nonmajors introductory biology at the University of Alaska Anchorage. We compare course completion and final grades for 10,793 students (3736 who simultaneously enrolled in the lab and 7057 who did not). Unconditionally, students who self-select into the lab are more likely to complete the course and to earn a higher grade than students who do not. However, when we condition on observable course, academic, and demographic characteristics, we find much of this difference in student performance outcomes is attributable to selection bias, rather than an effect of the lab itself. The data and discussion challenge the misconception that labs serve as recitations for lecture content, noting that the learning objectives of science labs should be more clearly articulated and assessed independent of lecture course outcomes.

STEM is about the integration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. To teach STEM effectively, students need practical examples of subject integration. A good example is the use of an electron microscope in teaching physics and biology. An electron microscope is an instrument in which the operation depends on electromagnetism and quantum mechanics, in particular wave-particle duality. In teaching physics, an electron microscope can be used to measure the separation of repeated structures that give rise to interference phenomena. This paper describes the use a tabletop scanning electron microscope to teach physics and biology together through imaging butterfly wings. Students are able to identify structures with a spacing comparable to visible light on butterflies exhibiting structural colour and much larger spacing on wings without structural colour.

Our interpretative study that was carried out in a science and engineering oriented university examined the ways students in an introductory biology course perceived their learning in the course that was substantially changed to allow student-centered learning. The instructional change was framed by the view of learning as a sociocultural activity as well as a cognitive process that can take place face-to-face or through online interaction. Most of the lectures were substituted with individual learning and project-based, small-group learning that lasted one month. Data were collected through interviews with students and instructors, and through observations. In the paper, we show evidence for deep learning that was associated by the students and the instructors with short-term, meaningful activities in a setting that included collaborative peer learning; and replacing most lectures by small group learning that ended in a mini-conference. Deep learning was evidenced by the ways students reflected on how they organised and applied knowledge using deep learning strategies.

Effective pedagogical strategies are needed to improve statistical literacy within health sciences education. This paper describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a highly interactive two-week biostatistics short course using the flipped classroom model in the United States. The course was required for all students at the start of a doctoral degree program with the goal of standardizing student preparation, contextualizing biostatistics to healthcare, and identifying students needing additional help. We focused on basic concepts and methods, their application to healthcare, selection of statistical procedures, and results interpretation. Data indicate that students were actively engaged, perceived the course as useful, and experienced learning gains. After the course, students indicated that they better understood the relevance and applicability of biostatistics and were motivated to learn more.

The phenomenon of industrial melanism (IM) became widely acknowledged as a well-documented example of natural selection largely as a result of H.B.D. Kettlewell's pioneering research on the subject in the early 1950s. It was quickly picked up by American biology textbooks starting in the early 1960s and became ubiquitous throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. While recent research on the phenomenon broadly supports Kettlewell's explanation of IM in the peppered moth, which in turn has strengthened this example of natural selection, textbook IM entries have actually declined in recent years in favor of other examples. In a previous paper, we drew attention to the pivotal role visual aspects played in the introduction of IM into (and its subsequent removal from) textbook accounts. The present article continues this investigation by analyzing textual passages on industrial melanism within a stratified random sample of textbooks from the 1960s to the 2000s. The fact that this example of natural selection was included by multiple publishers independently, in a short period of time, makes it uniquely qualified for a textbook study of this kind. The purpose of the present project was to determine whether these textbooks contain what has come to be known as the standard peppered moth story. Three complete series were also inspected for change across time. Our analysis focused on (1) the amount of text devoted to industrial melanism; (2) what specific science content elements were present; and (3) what, if any, nature of science (NOS) aspects were included. The study documents an increase in the amount of text devoted to industrial melanism over the decades. In spite of this increase, only modest changes in science content and NOS aspects were found.

Reviews of the state of biology fieldwork in UK schools and universities at the beginning of the twenty-first century (Barker, Slingsby, and Tilling 2002; Smith 2004) were not entirely pessimistic; rather they suggested ways forward that might lead to an increase in fieldwork. Whether their hopes have been realised has, perhaps, been revealed by later studies. In 2006, the National Foundation for Educational Research comprehensively surveyed the extent of learning outside the classroom in English schools (O'Donnell, Morris and Wilson 2006). This survey included all kinds of fieldwork as well as that in biology and it concluded that, although many commentators had argued that there was a decline in fieldwork, there was little evidence in support of decline. Schools and local authorities considered that provision had increased or remained largely the same over the previous five years. Field work by primary schools on school sites was commonly reported as increasing. Less encouraging, however, are the findings of a metastudy by Lock (2010) of publications between 1963 and 2009, although only three out of 13 of these reported surveys were done after 2000, which addressed biology fieldwork provision for 16-19 year olds in UK schools and colleges. This study suggested that according to several criteria (time in the field, the number of teachers taking fieldwork, teacher perception of change and the amount of residential fieldwork) the extent of fieldwork had declined. Other criteria (the number and type of habitats visited) showed no clear evidence of change. The current status of fieldwork in UK universities, not withstanding the negative comment that has been reported in this article, appears to be buoyant. Maw, Mauchline, and Park (2011) surveyed academics from 27 institutions by questionnaire in 2010 and found no evidence of a decrease in biological fieldwork over the previous five years. Furthermore, when staff from 27 universities were interviewed by Skype or telephone in 2012 (Mauchline, Peacock, and Park 2013) there was no evidence of decline in fieldwork over the previous five years; fieldwork was greatly valued and a future increase was predicted in some institutions. The funding of fieldwork in UK universities has been anomalous in that students have sometimes been charged for fieldwork costs whereas expensive consumables used in laboratory classes have been provided without extra charge. Mauchline, Peacock, and Park (2013) suggested that the introduction of full-cost fees from 2012 has led to the deletion of extra charges for fieldwork; they suggest that this may boost fieldwork. Other suggested positive factors are that the promise of fieldwork enhances student recruitment, that fieldwork skills enhance employability and that students enjoy doing fieldwork. This is supported by the authors'experience with students at Hull University; they found that students valued fieldwork because of its leading to outdoor career opportunities and students largely enjoyed the fieldwork experience (Goulder, Scott, and Scott 2013; Scott et al. 2012). Here the authors posit that all in all, although there is clearly much difference of opinion, they are unconvinced that biological fieldwork and identification skills are currently at significant risk in UK universities; they also believe that fieldwork in schools has the potential for a positive future.

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss the methods that were used to do egalitarian research with ten Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Rather than doing research "on" these institutions, the authors worked with them to understand their successes and build upon their capacity in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) areas. Through this process, the authors aimed to bring exposure and interest to the practices that HBCUs use to increase and nurture success in African American students--practices that are rarely used in mainstream STEM programs and, in fact, run counter to well-established practices across STEM. The goal is to challenge traditional methods for pursuing STEM education research as the authors offer alternative methods the uplift and empower HBCUs. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used the constant comparative method in developing, testing, and writing-up the HBCU success stories. The constant comparative method collects data in a systematic way by engaging in ongoing exploration and verification of findings with key stakeholders (in this case, the teachers, students and staff at the HBCUs). Across the ten HBCUs in the sample, at least one success story or model at each institution was identified; in some instances, there were more. Findings: The research project had several implications for the social and economic health of society. First, supporting the work of HBCUs contributes to the diversification of the STEM fields and addresses the severe drought in the STEM workforce. It is without doubt that a diverse workforce--the unique perspectives and backgrounds of each individual--has a positive and significant influence on progress and innovation in any field. Despite increasingly growing minority communities across the country, many Blacks continue to face roadblocks that impede their opportunities and abilities in the K-20 pipeline and STEM education, specifically. Because HBCUs have a long history and record of tearing down those roadblocks and contributing Black students to the STEM workforce, they are prime and optimal sites for long-term investment. Second, improving the abilities of HBCUs to support student success in STEM also increases the likelihood of greater STEM minority teachers and faculty. A significant factor in the success of minority students in STEM is the opportunity to be taught and mentored by faculty members that look like them and/or deeply understand their personal background and struggles. For many Black students, the presence of a Black science professor can improve and retain student interest and aspiration in STEM. But with so few Black STEM faculty members, many students can easily fall through the cracks. Third, aside from the nation's security and health, supporting HBCUs' work in STEM student achievement represents immeasurable benefits for the individual and his/her family for many generations to come (i.e. society overall). Occupations in STEM are plentiful and fruitful for those who achieve the required credentials. Increasing opportunities for Black students to pursue these STEM careers can establish a path toward upward social mobility. The realization of these benefits is contingent upon the investment in early achievement in STEM courses. Research limitations/implications: Several research based outcomes are scheduled to result from this project, including a major policy report on HBCUs and their approaches to STEM education (co-constructed with the HBCU representatives); several peer reviewed articles (authored by us as well as the HBCU representatives); a national convening (showcasing both the best practices and the results of the HBCUs' funded capacity building projects with the HBCU representatives as the primary speakers rather than us); a website featuring the work of the 10 HBCUs, active use of social media to disseminate the findings of the project; several op-eds written for a general audience and co-authored with HBCU representatives; and an authored book published by a university press. Practical implications: Best practices gleaned from this project are being shared in a scholarly manner, but they will be shared in ways that are accessible to practitioners, including presidents, faculty, academic advisors, student success staff and other HBCU practitioners. In addition, best practices will be shared with majority colleges and universities to strengthen and improve practices more broadly in STEM. The authors are working with organizations such as the Association of American Universities, Association of Public Land Grant Universities and the American Association of Colleges and Universities to showcase the work of HBCUs and disseminate information. Social implications: Conducting research projects in which the research inquiry is co-constructed and the resulting research products are also co-constructed and even co-authored is an empowering and collaborative way to work across institutional types. More importantly, this approach brings attention to those researchers and teachers at HBCUs that are doing the day-to-day work with students, training them to be scientists, doctors and professors. Too often, only those conducting studies on STEM are credited with "discovering" success models for student learning. The authors think that those who have created these models and use them should be recognized and included in the research and dissemination process, and the authors encourage others to think more broadly and openly about collaborative research that engages the voices of HBCU researchers and students. Originality/value: This project also has much to teach others about collaborating through research. First, collaborating when conducting research related to STEM is essential, as it encourages collaboration within STEM and among STEM researchers. HBCU researchers that were a part of our project--biologists, physicist and chemists--were encouraged to work across disciplinary lines and together to understand their own STEM education practices more fully.

The understanding of core concepts and processes of science in solving problems is important to successful learning in biology. We have designed and developed a Web-based, self-directed tutorial program, "SOLVEIT," that provides various scaffolds (e.g., prompts, expert models, visual guidance) to help college students enhance their skills and abilities in solving problems in science. An initial version of "SOLVEIT" was used in this study. This paper details the features of "SOLVEIT" that are contextualized within the biological domains of evolution and ecology. A qualitative case study was conducted to evaluate the usability of the program. Selected students were recruited from an introductory biology course at a large public university in the south-eastern United States. Data for this study were collected through the "SOLVEIT" database and semi-structured interviews. The findings of this study demonstrate the potential of the program for improving students' problem solving in biology. Suggestions for the use of "SOLVEIT" and its further improvement and development are discussed, along with suggestions for future research. This study also provides more general guidance for researchers and practitioners who are interested in the design, development and evaluation of Web-based tutorial programs in science education.

Darwin's theory of evolution is explicitly competitive, yet co-operation between individuals is a common phenomenon. The Prisoner's Dilemma model is central to the teaching of the evolution of co-operation. The best-known explorations of the Prisoner's Dilemma are the tournaments run by Robert Axelrod in the 1980s. Aimed at students of biological or behavioural science (post-compulsory education), this paper proposes a simplified, non-computer-based version of Axelrod's Tournament which allows students to explore the Prisoner's Dilemma using different behavioural strategies. In this classroom exercise, students become the players in a repeated Prisoner's Dilemma situation. They investigate the outcomes of different strategies of play using a simple scoring system. After each generation of play, students discuss the evolutionary success of the strategies--strategies that score poorly are discarded and replaced with those that score well. Four generations of play are suggested, after which "Tit for Tat" will have become the dominant strategy in the population, as it did during Axelrod's original tournaments. Students gain a basic understanding of the evolution of co-operation, and the associated written report encourages them to investigate the process in more depth.

In their 2012 report, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology advocated "replacing standard science laboratory courses with discovery-based research courses"--a challenging proposition that presents practical and pedagogical difficulties. In this paper, we describe our collective experiences working with the Genomics Education Partnership, a nationwide faculty consortium that aims to provide undergraduates with a research experience in genomics through a scheduled course (a classroom-based undergraduate research experience, or CURE). We examine the common barriers encountered in implementing a CURE, program elements of most value to faculty, ways in which a shared core support system can help, and the incentives for and rewards of establishing a CURE on our diverse campuses. While some of the barriers and rewards are specific to a research project utilizing a genomics approach, other lessons learned should be broadly applicable. We find that a central system that supports a shared investigation can mitigate some shortfalls in campus infrastructure (such as time for new curriculum development, availability of IT services) and provides collegial support for change. Our findings should be useful for designing similar supportive programs to facilitate change in the way we teach science for undergraduates.

Life cycle diagrams communicate the developmental life stages of an organism. Design choices may inadvertently communicate additional information about survivorship rates, genetic variation, and microevolutionary change. In this controlled experiment, we randomly assigned one of three life cycle diagrams to 684 college students. Each figure included identical life stages of a fictitious organism's development but differed in (1) the number of offspring (single or multiple) and (2) layout (cyclical or linear). Each participant could reference the figure when answering questions about organism survival, variation among offspring, and variation between generations. Students scored 28–30% higher on questions about survivorship when the available diagram included multiple offspring. Students scored 19–30% higher on questions about microevolution when the diagram layout was linear. Overall, students who received the figure with a linear layout and multiple offspring earned the highest average score (54.5%, or 3.3 of six questions) on the assessment, while students with the traditional figure (cyclical layout with single offspring) scored the lowest average (26.1%, or 1.6 of six questions). These results suggest that figure design affects student interpretations and may assist student learning about ecology and evolution concepts and common misconceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of core concepts and processes of science in solving problems is important to successful learning in biology. We have designed and developed a Web-based, self-directed tutorial program, SOLVEIT, that provides various scaffolds (e.g., prompts, expert models, visual guidance) to help college students enhance their skills and abilities in solving problems in science. An initial version of SOLVEIT was used in this study. This paper details the features of SOLVEIT that are contextualized within the biological domains of evolution and ecology. A qualitative case study was conducted to evaluate the usability of the program. Selected students were recruited from an introductory biology course at a large public university in the south-eastern United States. Data for this study were collected through the SOLVEIT database and semi-structured interviews. The findings of this study demonstrate the potential of the program for improving students' problem solving in biology. Suggestions for the use of SOLVEIT and its further improvement and development are discussed, along with suggestions for future research. This study also provides more general guidance for researchers and practitioners who are interested in the design, development and evaluation of Web-based tutorial programs in science education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates the nexus between study habits and academic performance among College of Health Biology students at the University of Cagayan Valley Tuguegarao. Recognizing the pivotal role of study habits in academic achievement--encompassing reading ability, notetaking, motivation, memorization, test preparation, and time management--the research adopts a descriptive-correlation approach. The Palsane and Sharma Study Habits Inventory (PSSHI) is employed to evaluate and gauge students' study habits. Data analysis focuses on undergraduates enrolled during the academic year 2022-2023, aiming to assess their academic performance levels. Results indicate that students generally exhibit average study habits, with discernible areas for improvement. However, the study fails to establish a significant correlation between these study habits and academic performance, contrary to initial expectations. The findings spotlight the imperative for targeted interventions aimed at elevating and refining study habits among College of Health Biology students. Although no direct correlation was found, the identification of specific areas within study habits that require enhancement presents an opportunity for tailored interventions. By implementing strategies to bolster these identified facets, the overarching aim is to positively impact academic outcomes among students. Be The research underscores the complexity inherent in the relationship between study habits and academic performance, emphasizing the necessity for multifaceted approaches to enhance academic success. Consequently, interventions designed to refine study habits can potentially contribute to broader improvements in overall academic achievements among the student body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tragically, a majority of people with mental illness never seek treatment; however, people may be more likely to seek help from religious clergy than from mental health professionals. In the current study, 25 Protestant seminary students were interviewed. The majority of students considered there to be biological, spiritual, and environmental causes of mental illness and favored psychological, medication, or spiritual treatments. Some participants reported stigma of mental illness, including avoidance and "dangerous" stereotypes. Religious clergy are frontline mental health providers, and their attitudes about mental illness are critical in reducing stigma and increasing treatment seeking among people with mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Boosting students' disciplinary interest has long been considered an important mechanism to increase student success and retention in STEM education. Yet, interest is a complex construct and can mean different things to different people, and many of the existing interest questionnaires do not identify a specific theoretical framework underlying their items. To demonstrate that curricular interventions targeting students' interest are effective, educators need a theoretically based instrument to measure interest. The aim of this study was to develop an instrument measuring undergraduate students' interest in the discipline of biology and collect initial validity evidence supporting the proposed use. The instrument structure is based on Hidi and Renninger's (Educational Psychologist 41:111–127, 2006) conceptualization of individual interest, and the intended use is to evaluate changes in the biology interests of the US undergraduate students pursuing STEM degrees. To provide evidence of validity, the instrument was completed by 446 biology majors and 489 non-biology majors at two R1 universities. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were applied to evaluate the internal structure of the instrument. Results: The final three-factor instrument supported by these analyses includes 6 items representing positive feelings towards biology, 5 items representing personal value of biology, and 8 items representing reengagement in biology-related activities. Measurement invariance across biology and non-biology majors was established and subsequent comparisons of these populations demonstrated that biology majors report significantly higher positive feelings, personal value, and reengagement in biology-related activities compared to non-biology majors. Conclusions: The study findings support the use of the instrument to gain a broad understanding of students' individual interest in biology. With minor adaptions, the instrument could also be evaluated for use in other STEM disciplines and for use by other populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We combined inter- and intraindividual approaches to investigate university students' biology- and psychology-specific specific epistemic beliefs (beliefs about the nature and structure of knowledge). We expected that university students would perceive the discipline of biology as more absolute and less multiplistic than the discipline of psychology (intraindividual perspective). Furthermore, we expected students from so-called "hard" disciplines to perceive biology as more absolute and less multiplistic than students from soft disciplines (interindividual perspective). Finally, we expected that students from hard disciplines, compared to their peers from soft disciplines, would perceive stronger differences between biology and psychology (combined perspective). Hypotheses were tested, using Bayes factors, in N = 938 university students from a multitude of disciplines. Results revealed that university students perceive biology as considerably more absolute and less multiplistic compared to psychology. However, the findings also suggest that there are no strong interindividual differences between students from hard and soft disciplines regarding the perception of biology. Finally, results revealed that students enrolled in harder disciplines perceive a slightly stronger difference between biology and psychology. In sum, intraindividual effects were considerably stronger, which elicits doubt that students from hard disciplines espouse a fundamentally different set of epistemic beliefs than their peers from soft disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instructors at rural, two-year institutions have many insights that can inform biology instruction at other colleges to promote rural students' success in the sciences. We present four principles, derived from three case studies of experienced rural instructors, to consider when teaching rural students. These include connecting to students' lives, being attentive to their needs in and out of the classroom, having a rigorous curriculum, and providing expansive learning opportunities. These principles capitalize on the strengths of rural students rather than their shortcomings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions are at the core of many ecological and evolutionary forces in nature. Plant-soil interactions provide a rich example of the interconnectedness of living systems, but they are hidden from everyday view and overshadowed in the classroom by more popular teaching examples involving animals, reptiles, or invertebrates. To highlight the importance and relevance of plant-soil relationships, we devised a simple role-playing activity suitable for college students. Specifically, the activity simulates how feedbacks between plants and soil environments influence plant species abundance and community richness. With this activity, students will gain a better understanding of these prolific, but overlooked, forms of biological interactions that impact the diversity and functioning of ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary theory is central to biology, and scientifically accurate evolution instruction is promoted within national and state standards documents. Previous literature has identified students' epistemological beliefs as potential predictors of evolution acceptance. The present work seeks to explore more directly how student views of evolution are related to their epistemological beliefs. We hypothesize that evolution acceptance may be related to students' epistemological beliefs and that this relationship may vary depending on students' relationship to the field of biology, either as an experienced major, a new major, or a non-major. Specifically, this manuscript investigates how college students' evolution acceptance may be connected to Perry developmental levels for three distinct groups of students: upper-level majors, first-year majors, and non-majors. A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach entailing quantitative surveys followed by individual interviews was employed. In total, 395 college-level biology students from three classes were surveyed, and 44 students were interviewed. Descriptive quantitative trends were identified, and evolution acceptance varied predictably by both Perry level and Class. Qualitative analysis explained these quantitative findings in terms of participants' identification with science, views of authority, views of the compatibility of evolution and religion, and appreciation for the tentative nature of science with respect to evolution. Potential implications for science educators at the college level are discussed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 54: 493-519, 2017 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the knowledge acquisition of biology and physics freshmen students with special regard to differences between high school (HS) high performing and low performing students. Our study is based on a prior knowledge model, which describes explicit knowledge as a composite of four knowledge types: knowledge of facts, knowledge of meaning, integration of knowledge, and application of knowledge. As a first outcome-oriented approach, we operationalize knowledge acquisition via the changes in these knowledge types between the beginning and the end of the first year. To investigate the knowledge acquisition, a test set was constructed that covers these knowledge types. It was administered to 162 biology and 101 physics students at university. We used an Item Response Theory approach to scale the data. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to analyze the acquisition of the knowledge types. We separated HS low, medium, and high achievers by high school grade point average (HS GPA). The knowledge acquisition of the HS low achievers did not differ from other groups. However, the HS low achievers did not only start with less prior knowledge but also were not able to reach the prior knowledge of the HS high achievers within the first year. Our findings concerning knowledge acquisition may be used to support and improve students' knowledge acquisition in a targeted way by focusing on selected knowledge types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]