Using Physiology to Enhance Understanding of The Scientific Method

Abstract

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum aims to provide students with problem‐solving skills and knowledge to promote interest in STEM careers. Yet, study of the scientific method, the basis for research and many other STEM careers, is often overlooked. The current high demands for an increased STEM workforce, highlight the importance in developing students’ interest and skills that would encourage career pursuit. The objective of this study was to evaluate and develop seventh grade students’ understanding of the scientific method. We hypothesized that improving students’ understanding of the scientific method would increase interest in pursuing a STEM career. We evaluated this hypothesis by using a physiology‐based outreach activity focused on hands‐on learning and collecting survey data post event. The event was performed at a middle school located in the metropolitan Omaha, Nebraska. One‐hundred and four students participated in one hour of physiology‐based activities led by volunteer faculty, postdoctoral research associates, graduate students, and medical students. Sessions commenced with the volunteers introducing themselves, their career level, and research focus. Volunteers then gave a brief explanation of how science affects everything in the world followed by an introduction to the physiological systems: the eye, or the heart and lungs. Students were lead through a set of activities designed to explain the scientific method scientific method by conducting experiments at two stations centered on the eye or the heart and lungs for 20–25 minutes. The session concluded with 15 minutes of question and answer to allow students to confer with the volunteers about what they just learned, science as a career, and what a scientist’s typical day resembles. A post‐survey was administered to evaluate the effectiveness of the day of activities. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data and factor analysis was conducted to create a “Science Interest” scale. Overall, this project received positive feedback from the students related to learning and understanding science. Sixty‐five percent of students reported that the event increased their appreciation of science. Seventy‐one percent of students reported that the outreach event helped them understand what a career in science is like. Twenty‐one percent of students reported the event increased their interest in science, 68% reported this event didn’t change their interest, and 11% reported that this event decreased their interest in science. Using the “Science Interest” scale (Alpha = .773), 54 (58%) students fit into the “high” science interest category and 39 (42%) fit into the “low” interest category. Students who scored high in science interest were significantly (p< 0.01) more likely to answer “agree” or “strongly agree” on the questions, “This event increased my appreciation of science” and “This outreach event helped me to understand what a career in science is like.” Relatedly, students who scored low on the science interest scale were significantly more likely to respond that the event made them less interested in a science career. Our data suggest that a physiology‐based educational outreach event is effective in enhancing understanding of the scientific method and generation of interest to pursue a STEM career.