Could Instructor Talk Drive CURE Effectiveness? A Comparative Study of Instructor Talk in Introductory Lab Courses

Area of Science:

• Biology Education Research
• Undergraduate Science Education

Background:

• Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are believed to increase student motivation in science.
• The specific mechanisms by which CUREs enhance motivation are not well understood.
• Instructor communication styles may influence student motivational beliefs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize non-content-related instructor talk in CUREs versus non-CUREs.
• To identify types of instructor talk related to student motivation (immediacy, self-efficacy, task values).

Main Methods:

• Analyzed instructor talk in 48 introductory biology lab courses (24 CUREs, 24 non-CUREs).
• Identified 14 types of instructor talk aligned with theories of immediacy, self-efficacy, and task values.
• Compared the prevalence and variation of these talk types between CURE and non-CURE settings.

Main Results:

• CURE instructors used more immediacy, self-efficacy, and task values talk compared to non-CURE instructors.
• Significant variation in these motivational talk types was observed among CURE instructors.
• Instructor talk related to student motivation was more common in CUREs.

Conclusions:

• Motivational instructor talk is more prevalent in CUREs than non-CUREs.
• The variability in CURE instructor talk necessitates further research to confirm its role in student motivation.
• Non-content communication may be a key factor in CUREs' motivational impact.