The Words That Shape Us

Science identity is discussed as a determinant of student success. One facet of science identity is competence– while courses leave students with various skills, there is a gap between skill development and perceived development of skills. Many variables influence perceived skill development, including reflective practice and instructional language. We evaluate whether outcomes differ for students who answer content-based vs. metacognitive-rich reflection prompts, as well as for students who receive detailed instructions vs. minimal instructions for their reflections. Additionally, we examine the relationship between perception of skills development and science identity. We expect to find that students who receive detailed instructions and metacognitive-rich reflection prompts will experience the greatest improvement in perception of skill development, and students who report the highest perception of skill development will have the strongest science identity.