Becoming a Scientist: Using First-Year Undergraduate Science Courses to Promote Identification with Science Disciplines

In this qualitative study, we examined how two professors (a physicist and biochemist) of first year college students perceived their students’ development of identification in biochemistry or physics and how they actively supported this development. The professors described students who entered college with different levels of domain identification and different expectations for their college science experience depending upon whether they were in a biochemistry or physics major. Although neither professor was familiar with research related to the concept of domain identification, their beliefs about their students’ identification and academic support strategies generally aligned with the Osborne and Jones (2011) model of academic identification

Strategies and Characteristics of Young African American Women Who Maintain Physical Activity

African American (AA) women have a disproportionately higher prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity compared to their gender and racial counterparts. Young AA women experience the largest increases in weight gain between 20-30 years of age, yet are underrepresented in current literature surrounding leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) promotion. Examining young AA women who successfully maintain LTPA participation may provide insight into their methods for doing so. The purpose of this study was to explore strategies used by active young AA women that support their LTPA maintenance, and identify various characteristics of these women. A multimethod approach (qualitative and quantitative) was used with a primary focus on qualitative methods. AA women ages 20-34 years who had met national guidelines for either aerobic or muscle-strengthening LTPA for at least six months were recruited. Participants completed questionnaires/surveys, then engaged in a semi-structured interview inquiring about their LTPA history, preferences, motivators/enablers, barriers, and strategies to overcome barriers. Ten women completed the study. Eighty percent met national PA recommendations for both aerobic (2578.0±1228.5 MET-minutes/week) and muscle-strengthening LTPA (4.0±1.9 days/week). Participants had high self-efficacy for LTPA (1414.5±64.4 of 1800) and high levels of commitment to LTPA (49.6±2.9 out of 55). These women also showed success in utilizing processes to assist their LTPA maintenance including committing oneself (4.7±0.4 of 5), substituting alternatives (4.7±0.4 of 5), increasing knowledge (4.5±0.4 of 5), and comprehending benefits (4.5±0.7 of 5). Four themes emerged from the interviews: (1) Factors Contributing to LTPA Participation, (2) Characteristics of Current LTPA, (3) Initiating LTPA Participation, and (4) Maintaining LTPA Participation. Having an in-person and virtual fitness network (via social media), and planned strategies to overcome barriers were among multiple strategies that assisted this sample with maintaining regular LTPA. Participants also identified muscle-strengthening activities as their preferred type of LTPA. The strategies used to maintain regular LTPA participation in this sample of active young AA women may be helpful to support other young AA women trying to initiate and/or maintain long-term LTPA participation. These results may also help inform future LTPA interventions in young AA women in an effort to prevent health and physical activity disparities

Extension of the theory of planned behaviour incorporating an improved measure of emotion: An application to speeding

Speeding is related to crashes. The motivational factors underlying speeding must be identified to inform road safety. The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) suggests that behavioural intention is predicted by attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control. The present research was an attempted extension of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), in a speeding context. It was identified that the scales used in the TPB are not appropriately capturing emotion, and that the lack of emotion measures may be responsible for unaccounted for variance in intention. Questionnaires were developed based on Ajzen\u27s (2006) and Bradley and Lang\u27s (1999) methods. It was hypothesised, based on Bradley and Lang\u27s (1999) theory that the incorporation of an additional measure of emotion utilising arousal, would account for increased variance associated with intention to speed. This was not supported, with arousal accounting for an additional 0.01% of variance. Furthermore it was hypothesised that past behaviour would account for increased variance associated with the intention to speed, which was supported. Past behaviour accounted for an additional 6.5% of intention variance. The traditional TPB model accounted for 53.2% of variance in speeding intention, with the proposed extended model accounting for a further 8.5% of variance in speeding intention. Past behaviour, attitude and perceived behavioural control were identified as the most influential predictors of intention. The thesis was concluded by outlining the theory, practice and policy implications, based upon the results. The methodological issues were considered and it was proposed that further research is needed examining emotion, arousal and their links to behavioural intention

Fostering Students\u27 Identification with Mathematics and Science

Book Summary: Interest in Mathematics and Science Learning is the first volume to assemble findings on the role of interest in mathematics and science learning. As the contributors illuminate across the volume’s 22 chapters, interest provides a critical bridge between cognition and affect in learning and development. This volume will be useful to educators, researchers, and policy makers, especially those whose focus is mathematics, science, and technology education. Chapter Summary: The primary purpose of this chapter is to explore the process whereby students transition from a short-term, situational interest in mathematics or science to a more enduring individual interest in which they incorporate performance in mathematics or science into their self-definitions (e.g. I am a scientist ). We do so by examining the research related to domain identification, which is the extent to which students define themselves through a role or performance in a domain, such as mathematics or science. Understanding the process of domain identification is important because it can contribute to an understanding of how individual interest develops over time. The means through which students become highly domain identified involves many factors that are internal (e.g. goals and beliefs) and external (e.g. family environment and educational experiences) to them. Students who are more identified with an academic domain tend to demonstrate increased motivation, effort, perseverance (when faced with failure), and achievement. Importantly, students with lower domain identification tend to demonstrate less motivation, lower effort, and fewer desirable outcomes. Student outcomes in a domain can reciprocally influence domain identification by reinforcing or altering it. This feedback loop can help explain incremental changes in motivation, self-concept, individual interest, and, ultimately, important outcomes such as achievement, choice of college major, and career path. This dynamic model presents possible mechanisms for influencing student outcomes. Furthermore, assessing students\u27 domain identification can allow practitioners to intervene to prevent undesirable outcomes. Finally, we present research on how mathematics and science instructors could use the principles of the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation to enhance students\u27 domain identification, by (a) empowering students, (b) demonstrating the usefulness of the domain, (c) supporting students\u27 success, (d) triggering students\u27 interests, and (e) fostering a sense of caring and belonging. We conclude that by using the MUSIC model, instructors can intentionally design educational experiences to help students progress from a situational interest to one that is more enduring and integrated into their identities

Treatment of Patients with a Mental Illness in a Primary Care Setting: Does it Increase the Provider’s Stress?

Abstract Purpose/Aims: The purpose of this study is to survey primary care providers regarding their perceived stress related to treating patients with a mental illness. The specific aim is to determine whether or not primary care providers experience stress while treating patients with a mental illness. Background/Significance: Accessibility to mental health care is a growing problem in our country. It is increasingly becoming common for patients with a mental illness to present for treatment in a primary care setting. Many factors lead patients with a mental illness to seek treatment in a primary care setting, such as presenting symptoms or chronic conditions, stigmas involved with mental illness, and untimely access to a mental health facility. Despite the growing numbers of patients with a mental illness in primary care settings, primary care providers are often uncomfortable addressing mental health issues (Butler & Kane, 2008). Since these providers do not specialize in mental health, they have, at best, received a minimal amount of education in this specific area. Williams et al. note that staff in primary care settings have received very little previous training in mental health, and an urgent need exists to ensure that these staff can address the mental health problems within their communities (Williams, Ryzhkova, Proselkova, Zakroyeva, Gask & Goldberg, 2012). This need for more education suggests that the primary care providers may not be appropriately equipped to properly diagnose treat, and manage patients with a mental illness. Without proper knowledge and experience, the providers may not have the necessary confidence in their abilities to know that they are correctly caring for and treating their patients with a mental illness. The lack of confidence and comfort in accurately treating and diagnosing patients with a mental illness may affect the stress levels of primary care providers. Methods: This study will be descriptive and cross sectional. A purposive sampling of primary care providers from Central Appalachia will be used to obtain the data for this study. The recruitment for this study will take place at a nurse practitioner association meeting as well as a nurse-managed community health center. A demographic survey (consisting of age, gender, education level, and experience in primary care) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) will be collected from each participating primary care practitioner. The 10-item PSS asks questions about perceived stress related to treating patients with a mental illness. The PSS uses a Likert scale with response options that range from never, almost never, sometimes, fairly often, and very often. Each item will be scored based upon the response to each item. The data collected from the demographic survey and the 10-item questionnaire will be analyzed using descriptive statistics