Assessing students' ability to critically evaluate evidence in an inquiry-based undergraduate laboratory course

Area of Science:

• Science Education
• Undergraduate Research

Background:

• Critical evaluation of evidence is crucial for researchers.
• Developing these skills involves analyzing literature, identifying research gaps, and contextualizing findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a model for examining undergraduate science students' evidence evaluation and use abilities.
• To compare student performance in laboratory reports with published scientific research.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 42 student laboratory reports from control and experimental groups.
• Comparison with 7 published scientific research articles.
• Statistical analysis of correlations between grades, evidence use, and report length.

Main Results:

• Students most often referred to literature indirectly and rarely highlighted its limitations.
• Positive correlations were found between grades and the use of references, evidence, and report length.
• Student performance in evidence use approached that of published authors by the second year.

Conclusions:

• Inquiry-based laboratory classes can effectively foster critical evaluation and evidence use skills.
• Broad undergraduate research experiences benefit all students in developing scientific communication and evaluation abilities.