Advancing Metacognitive Practices in Experimental Design: A Suite of Worksheet-Based Activities To Promote Reflection and Discourse in Laboratory Contexts

摘要

Recent efforts to reform postsecondary STEM laboratory education have resulted in the genesis of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). In contrast to expository and inquiry-based laboratory curricula, CUREs are designed to engage students in the authentic process of scientific discovery, from development of a novel research question to experimentation, data analysis, and dissemination ( , ). Evidence within the biology education literature indicates that CUREs are effective at promoting students’ acquisition of scientific reasoning skills, attitudes, motivations, and conceptual understanding in the discipline ( – ). Furthermore, CUREs have been shown to foster students’ ability to “think like a scientist” and, in concert with the aforementioned outcomes, lead to increased student interest and persistence in STEM ( , ).