Tag: Jenefer Husman

The Relationship Between Students’ Approach to Learning and Future Thinking in a Science Class

Presenter: Madeleine Smith – Neuroscience, Psychology, and Educational Foundations

Faculty Mentor(s): Jenefer Husman, Sara Hodges

Session: (In-Person) Poster Presentation

Supporting student motivation in post-secondary introductory science courses is an important step in increasing student retention in STEM fields. Prior research has focused on a variable- centered approach to students’ motivation to learn, but a person-centered approach to looking at the relationship between self-regulated learning and motivation variables is necessary. Additionally, research suggests that students’ future goals and their perception of the future influences their performance in school. This study aimed to identify the relationship between future thinking and motivational and self-regulated learning profiles. 385 participants were recruited from an introductory science course at a large Northwest university and completed an online self-report survey on their motivation, goal orientation, self-regulation, knowledge building strategies, and future thinking. K-means cluster analysis indicated that there are three motivational and self-regulated learning profiles. A multinomial logistic regression was conducted and showed that students’ actions towards their future goals are a stronger predictor of their profile adoption than the clarity of their future goals. Understanding the relationship between students’ future thinking and their adoption of learning profiles can help post-secondary science instructors alter course structure to support student motivation and self-regulated learning.

Fit In & Fit Out: Promoting Women’s Belongingness in STEM Majors

Presenter(s): Zige Zhao − Educational Foundations

Co Presenter(s): Mengfan Zhai

Faculty Mentor(s): Jenefer Husman

Poster 105

Research Area: Motivation on Learning: Gender/Belongingness/STEM

In 2013, the gender gap in STEM was nearly the same as it was in the 1960s (Hill et al., 2010) (As cite by Crenshaw, 2017). We argue social belongingness (SB) – a basic human emotional and psychological need for perceiving acceptance in some social group or setting (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Leary & Baumeister, 2000) – is essential to understand these persistent gender disparities and make the change with tested and potential solutions. We conducted a systematic online review of the research on Social Belongingness Theory (SBT) and women in STEM for the purpose of addressing gender equity by searching the keywords “gender”, “belonging”, “STEM”, and “stereotype” on Web of Science and Google Scholar. We categorized 20 articles into “Why” SBT is important and “How” increase SB promotes female participation in STEM. We found social belongingness affects women’s persistence in STEM (Lewis, 2017), and women’s STEM interests (Dustin, 2013). We also found that lower belongingness among women is due to: generally feeling unwelcome in STEM (Settles, 2006); lack of early exposure to STEM experiences (Cheryan, 2017); and lack of female representation (Hill, 2010). Several articles provide data-based solutions and suggestions on improving belongingness of women in STEM, including: Having female peer mentors during the early college years (Dennehy, 2017); increased positive feedback from male authorities (Park, 2017); greater emphasis on effort as expected and normal to achieve success enhancing female’s feeling of belonging (Smith, 2013); improving perceived identity compatibility (London, 2011); and receiving support from equity sources (Rosenthal, 2011).

Stress in Your Spit? A Literature Review of The Correlation (Relationship) Between Salivary- Alpha Amylase and the Body’s Reaction to Stress

Presenter(s): Robyn Wright − Human Physiology

Faculty Mentor(s): Jenefer Husman, Shawn Lampkins

Poster 42

Research Area: Science

Salivary-alpha amylase (sAA), a protein enzyme, is a biomarker of psychological stress. Researchers have used sAA to study the body’s processes during stress and its influence on health and human behavior. To conduct future research on students’ responses to exam stress using sAA, we first needed to understand the use of sAA as a biological marker and the best methods of collection and analysis. We conducted a literature search using Google Scholar and Web of Science, using keywords such as “salivary alpha amylase”, “sAA”, “salivary alpha amylase stress tasks”, and “sAA stress”. In six of the eight articles sources we reviewed, we found a strong correlation between the body’s enzymatic activity and the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. This search provided evidence for the proposition that increases in physiological stress are matched by an increase in sAA level in spit. Several methodological issues related to collecting sAA were identified. Passive drool or salivettes, rolls of cotton that subjects chew on, have consistently proven to be a reliable, accurate collection method. Our literature search also revealed sAA response to stress is faster, ten minutes between activation and release, than other salivary markers (e.g., cortisol). Based on this review, we are confident that sAA is a biological marker for stress and that salivettes are a reliable and accurate method of collection. In the future, we will utilize the results of this literature review to guide our examination of classroom context on students’ stress responses during midterm exams in a critical gateway course on statics.

Utility Value Interventions: A Key Instrument in Student Motivation and Learning

Presenter(s): Anna O’boyle − Educational Foundations

Faculty Mentor(s): Jenefer Husman

Poster 113

Research Area: Motivation

Many educators are interested in the ways in which students’ motivation and learning can be enhanced. We have explored utility value interventions in the classroom used in prior research in order to demonstrate the value of intervention studies guided by psychological theories. This research was conducted by searching the key terms “college,” “course,” “connections,” “introductory,” “prompt,” “utility value intervention,” and “young adult.” We investigated prior research cited by Hulleman and Kosovich (2016) in order to demonstrate that the utility value intervention, which influenced whether students established connections between the course material and their lives, increased both the interest and performance of young adult students in a course. This research suggests a positive correlation between students establishing connections and expecting to do well in the course, valuing course content, and continuing interest in the field. The results from the various studies were organized into a table by their reference, population, intervention details, and outcome variable. This review of the replications and extensions of utility value interventions in the classroom suggests that social-psychological interventions enhance students’ motivation and performance. Due to the ambiguity of supporting students’ motivation and learning, this research informs methodology in the future by which educators can design utility value interventions that support students’ abilities to establish connections between the course material and their lives. Consistent with prior research, the design and implementation of targeted psychological interventions can significantly influence student learning and development.

Working for the Future 

Presenter(s): Megan Ahern – Education Foundations

Faculty Mentor(s): Nané Kochoian, Jenefer Husman

Poster 103

Research Area: Educational Psychology

The focus of an individual’s goals has been shown to shift during one’s lifetime. Occupational Future Time Perspective (OFTP) is a domain-specific Future Time Perspective that refers to employee’s perceptions of their occupational future time horizon and the future perceived opportunities in their professional life. This research aimed to contribute to a better understanding of the importance and relevance of OFTP in the prediction of workers’ professional goals. We predicted that high scores of focus on opportunities and open-ended remaining time, as well as high scores of learning and performance goal orientations positively predict growth-related goals, whereas both high scores negatively predict generativity goals. The sample consisted of 545 French-speaking Belgian employees in administrative positions (63.9% female; ages= 25-65 years). Relations between occupational future time perspective, age, goal orientation approach, and goal content were explored. This was done by using an eight-item scale based on previous research on OFTP (Zacher 2013; Zacher & Frese, 2009) to measure focus on opportunities and perceived remaining time in their career. The findings suggest that individuals’ broader goal orientation affects the content of daily specific goals, as well as suggesting a positive link between leaning goal orientation and performance goal orientation. This research is significant because it introduces Future Time Perspective into the area of careers and occupations, and establishes the relationship between perceptions of occupational future time horizons and perceived opportunities of employees and how this relationship affects work-related outcomes.

Helping STEM Students Thrive: Investigating the Relationship of Course Belongingness and Approaches to Learning

Presenter(s): Shan Zhang

Faculty Mentor(s): Shawn Lampkins & Jenefer Husman

Poster 121

 Session: Social Sciences & Humanities

In college, students become increasingly responsible for their learning behaviors which determine their academic performance, known as self-regulation. If instructors expect students to be self-regulated, they need to know what factors they must address to support student self- regulation. We argue that self-efficacy (students’ belief in their ability to complete a task) and course belongingness (feeling of being valued in the course) are related to student self- regulation (SR), low-regulation (LR), deep learning strategies, (e.g., QAH, engagement of material by asking questions that take critical thought) and surface learning strategies (e.g., QAL, asking surface level questions ). The majority of research in university science education have male- dominated samples, our sample is 61% female-identified. We hypothesized that self-efficacy and course belongingness together would explain a significant portion of the variance in SR. By utilizing an existing validated survey of student approaches to learning from 271 undergraduate, non-major physics students, we conducted multiple regression analyses to explore these topics. We found that course belongingness and self-efficacy had strong positive relations with SR and strong negative relationship with LR. We also found that course belongingness and self-efficacy had a positive relationship with QAH and QAL, though its relation was not as strong as with SR. In conclusion, self-efficacy and course belongingness are strongly and positively related to students’ self-regulation. Based on these preliminary results, professors should consider promoting students’ sense of self-efficacy and feeling of belongingness in their courses. We will also explore gender as a moderator and mediator in this context.

Planning for the Future: The International Future Time Orientation and Life Project Scales

Presenter(s): Madeleine Smith—Educational Foundations

Faculty Mentor(s): Jenefer Husman

Throughout the years, extensive research has been done on what influences people’s decisions . What prompts a student to apply to one school over another? Do future goals really influence a student’s academic performance in a class? Researchers have found that psychological future and personal goals play a vital role in an individual’s present behavior, decision making, and self-concept . More specifically, future time orientation (FTO) is the degree to which people’s thoughts of the future influence their present-day actions (Husman & Lens, 1999) . Similarly, the theory of Life Project (LP) refers to a set of short to long-term goals that shape self-concept and identity (Little, Salmela-Aro, & Phillips, 2017) . This project will develop an International Future Time Orientation Scale and Life Project Scale working in conjunction with research teams in Portugal, Brazil, Spain, Uruguay, and the United States . FTO and LP constructs have recently been created by Portuguese research teams . The remaining research teams will conduct focus groups for construct evaluation . This evaluation will focus on main constructs such as distance, connectedness, and extension from FTO as well as organization, engagement, and identity from LP . The structures of both scales’ factors will be analyzed quantitatively with exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis . The development of reliable international FTO and LP scales are a necessary instrument as they could be applicable to larger populations . Overall, this exciting research focuses on what influences an individual’s decisions and can greatly benefit prospective psychological and educational studies .