Early Engagement in Course-Based Research Increases Graduation Rates and Completion of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Degrees
Open accessAbstract
National efforts to transform undergraduate biology education call for research experiences to be an integral component of learning for all students. Course-based undergraduate research experiences, or CUREs, have been championed for engaging students in research at a scale that is not possible through apprenticeships in faculty research laboratories. Yet there are few if any studies that examine the long-term effects of participating in CUREs on desired student outcomes, such as graduating from college and completing a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) major. One CURE program, the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI), has engaged thousands of first-year undergraduates over the past decade. Using propensity score–matching to control for student-level differences, we tested the effect of participating in FRI on students’ probability of graduating with a STEM degree, probability of graduating within 6 yr, and grade point average (GPA) at graduation. Students who completed all three semesters of FRI were significantly more likely than their non-FRI peers to earn a STEM degree and graduate within 6 yr. FRI had no significant effect on students’ GPAs at graduation. The effects were similar for diverse students. These results provide the most robust and best-controlled evidence to date to support calls for early involvement of undergraduates in research.
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In a robust study with propensity-matched participants, graduation with a STEM major and completion of a degree within 6 years was significantly linked to CURE participation.
“In a robust study with propensity-matched participants, graduation with a STEM major and completion of a degree within 6 years was significantly linked to CURE participation (5).”
From Gains in Scientific Identity, Scientific Self-Efficacy, and Career Intent Distinguish Upper-Level CUREs from Traditional Experiences in the Classroom (2022) · cites this paper as [5]
Student-centered learning approaches, such as UREs, provide opportunities to investigate factors that impact retention.
“Student-centered learning approaches, such as undergraduate research experiences (UREs), provide opportunities to investigate factors that impact retention, an important element of a national strategy to increase the pool of STEM graduates (2, 4, 5).”
From Gains in Scientific Identity, Scientific Self-Efficacy, and Career Intent Distinguish Upper-Level CUREs from Traditional Experiences in the Classroom (2022) · cites this paper as [5]
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Achieving STEM diversity: Fix the classrooms
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“…research from predominantly apprenticeship-based settings into the classroom, CUREs support the early development of research skills, scientific self-efficacy, and scientific identity while promoting persistence in STEM fields (Shaffer et al. 2010; Rodenbusch et al. 2016; Cooper et al. 2019).”
- Authors
- Rodenbusch, S. E., Hernandez, P. R., Simmons, S. L., & Dolan, E. L.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- West Virginia University (US)
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Dolan, Erin L.
- Venue
- CBE—Life Sciences Education
- Published
- 2016-06
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- ar20
- ISSN
- 1931-7913 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4909342
- OpenAlex
- W2412625133
- Cited by
- 430
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 39 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 57 · 2023: 53 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 45 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 122.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-sa
- Locations
- CBE—Life Sciences Education (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (0629136)
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (52006958, 52005907)
- University of Texas at Austin
- fRI Research
- Division of Chemistry
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Higher Education Research Studies
- Social Sciences › Education › Science Education and Pedagogy
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Career Development and Diversity
- Keywords
- course-based undergraduate research experiences, undergraduate research, STEM degree completion, graduation rates, grade point average, first-year students, diversity in STEM, undergraduate biology education
- MeSH terms
- Curriculum, Educational Measurement, Engineering, Female, Humans, Male, Mathematics, Regression Analysis, Research, Science, Universities, Racial Groups
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