Assessing student desire for professional skills development within the undergraduate science curriculum: a focus on teamwork

Professional skill development has emerged as an increasingly important facet of undergraduate training, specifically within science curricula. The primarily agreed upon professional skills for a well-rounded scientist include teamwork, oral communication, written communication, and quantitative skills. The demand for these skills has been driven by employers and graduate/professional schools. To this end, instructors in higher education have begun to integrate professional skill development into their course design and student learning goals. However, the attitudes of students towards the importance of different professional skills, the inclusion of these skills in their coursework, level of improvement and end confidence has yet to be thoroughly characterized. It was the aim of this study to ascertain students' desire for the aforementioned professional skills within their undergraduate science programs by exploring student perceptions of professional skills inclusion, importance, improvement, and confidence and identify the local courses students recognize as utilizing "teamwork activities." Here we detail these attitudes in biomedical science undergraduates at Michigan State University. By using the Science Student Skills Inventory (SSSI), a previously validated assessment tool, we observed differences in student perceptions of professional skills when compared to previous SSSI studies. We also observed significant differences in attitudes between age groups with respect to writing and communication skills, differing perceptions of what constitutes teamwork, as well as gender differences regarding communication and ethical thinking. Our results give valuable insight into student perspectives on how professional skills are developed in their program. These data may inform curriculum development within and across institutions.

COVID-19 Anxiety and Associated Factors among Finalist Undergraduate Science Teachers

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic inflicted excruciating psychological problems and elevated social concerns globally, including anxiety among university students. This study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with COVID-19 anxiety among finalist undergraduate students pursuing a degree in bachelor of science with education. A cross-sectional survey utilised data from 132 undergraduate science teachers at a university of science and technology recruited by census technique. Self-report data were obtained using the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale. Descriptive and logistic regression statistics were used to analyse the data. The prevalence of COVID-19 anxiety was found at 11.36%. Career aspects in pursuing postgraduate studies and a close person with a diagnosis of COVID-19 were independent factors associated with COVID-19 anxiety. Students with an intention to pursue postgraduate studies indicated a higher likelihood of COVID-19 anxiety (AOR=4.8, 95%CI: 1.04-21.69, p < .05). Furthermore, students that had no close person diagnosed with COVID-19 indicated a lower likelihood of COVID-19 anxiety (AOR=0.1, 95%CI: 0.02-- 0.63, p < .05). Higher COVID-19 anxiety was associated with lower future academic aspirations. Hence, knowledge of acquaintance diagnosed with COVID-19 was associated with an increased chance of developing the disease.

Navigating the "COVID hangover" in physiology courses

Undergraduate educators and students must navigate lingering after-effects of the COVID pandemic on education in the 2021-2022 academic year even as COVID continues to impact delivery of undergraduate science education. This article describes ongoing difficulties for undergraduate STEM students and educators and suggests strategies and easy-to-use resources that may help educators navigate the "COVID hangover" and ongoing COVID-related disruptions.

Research Practices and Needs Among Spine Surgeons Worldwide

Objective Resource allocation to research activities is challenging and there is limited evidence to justify decisions. Members of AO Spine were surveyed to understand the research practices and needs of spine surgeons worldwide. Methods An 84-item survey was distributed to the AO Spine community in September of 2020. Respondent demographics and insights regarding research registries, training and education, mentorship, grants and financial support, and future directions were collected. Responses were anonymous and compared among regions. Results A total of 333 spine surgeons representing all geographic regions responded; 52.3% were affiliated with an academic/university hospital, 91.0% conducted clinical research, and 60.9% had 5+ years of research experience. There was heterogeneity among research practices and needs across regions. North American respondents had more research experience ( P = .023), began conducting research early on ( P < .001), had an undergraduate science degree ( P < .001), and were more likely to have access to a research coordinator or support staff ( P = .042) compared to other regions. While all regions expressed having the same challenges in conducting research, Latin America, and Middle East/Northern Africa respondents were less encouraged to do research ( P < .001). Despite regional differences, there was global support for research registries and research training and education. Conclusion To advance spine care worldwide, spine societies should establish guidelines, conduct studies on pain management, and support predictive analytic modeling. Tailoring local/regional programs according to regional needs is advised. These results can assist spine societies in developing long-term research strategies and provide justified rationale to governments and funding agencies.

Influence of role models on the entrepreneurial skills of science and technology undergraduates

PurposeThis study examines the perspectives of undergraduate science and technology students in Thailand regarding the influence of various role models on their entrepreneurial skills.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed the single case study research method. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants. The sample consisted of 142 key informants, whose responses were analysed using a direct content analysis method.FindingsFrom the students' perspectives, entrepreneurial role models indirectly influenced their entrepreneurial skills.Practical implicationsThe findings have clear implications for educators and policymakers. Educational institutions should design and implement educational strategies that help connect informal learning gained from the family with formal training at higher education institutions. On-the-job or apprenticeship training should also be included as a component of course content.Originality/valueOur findings regarding the influence of role models differ from those of previous studies in relation to two of the four role models considered here. First, according to the students, their family environment has no direct impact on their entrepreneurial skills. In addition, science- and technology-based educational environments should adopt an entrepreneurial orientation to help students understand various market and business pressures, which will enable them to make a positive contribution to the workplace.

An Active Learning Intervention Based on Evaluating Alternative Hypotheses Increases Scientific Literacy of Controlled Experiments in Introductory Biology

Scientific education provides a set of tools to make sense of a complex world by teasing out complicated cause-and-effect relationships, such as the elimination of effects of confounding factors in controlled experiments. There is evidence that depth of understanding of controlled experiments is lacking among undergraduate science students despite exposure to controlled experiments in courses.

The role of language in students’ justifications of scientific phenomena

Constructing scientific arguments is an essential skill for members of society, especially in a world facing complex socioscientific issues. Educators can help students develop scientific argumentation skills; however, argumentation is a complex linguistic practice and little is known about how English language learners construct arguments in English. We investigated how undergraduate science students’ English language proficiency and history were associated with their level of reasoning in scientific arguments (N = 166). We found that participants’ English language experiences, including their proficiency and history, were associated with the level of reasoning demonstrated. These findings suggest a need to identify the associated barriers faced by students from diverse language backgrounds and design equitable educational supports and assessments.