Helping Students See and Identify Purpose and Relevance in Life Sciences Courses

To science instructors, it may seem obvious that understanding cell theory is essential for understanding how some diseases spread and can be treated. For students, these connections are often unclear at best. For some students, this knowledge might help propel their interest in life science and keep them motivated to engage and persist even when the content is difficult. Infusing purpose and relevance into the classroom is more than the instructor just giving an example from time to time. Our teaching guide describes the evidence for the positive impact of teaching strategies that promote purpose and relevance into introductory science classrooms. We review the various motivational theories that underlie why purpose and relevance matter and describe evidence-based strategies for engaging students in the deliberate process of drawing connections, finding and affirming value, and creating a purpose-filled science classroom culture.