Students Impression About Doing Research

Fourteen students were tracked as they participated in a local science and engineering fair project. This was part of a quantitative study to try to understand how they felt about doing res... See More

Fourteen students were tracked as they participated in a local science and engineering fair project. This was part of a quantitative study to try to understand how they felt about doing research. At first the students had a negative feeling about the project especially selecting one but their attitudes changed as they developed ownership of what they were doing. This is a great article to read if an educator wants to gain insight to what they might do to generate more positive attitudes about student research.

Gring back the science fair

I've always believed that science fairs provided students an opportunity to do inquiry science, but they are often perceived as just another science experiment - but a lot more work. This ar... See More

I've always believed that science fairs provided students an opportunity to do inquiry science, but they are often perceived as just another science experiment - but a lot more work. This article discusses the value of selecting and developing a topic, and how ownership of the project increased interest in the project as the time progressed. A bit of advice according to the author - encourage students to follow their own interests, to facilitate ownership. The process allows students to see the value of a research experience, and gain confidence and understanding of authentic research.