Utility value interventions in a college biology lab: The impact on motivation |
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| Authors: | Kevin W Curry Jr Dan Spencer Ondra Pesout Kimberly Pigford |
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| Institution: | 1. Penn State University, University Park, Pennsylvania;2. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina;3. University of Jan Evangelista Purkyne, Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic;4. North Carolina Wesleyan College, Rocky Mount, North Carolina |
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| Abstract: | Science writing, such as lab reports, allows students to form a meaningful understanding of scientific concepts. However, students often view scientific writing as unimportant and utilize surface level approaches when completing writing assignments. The current study implemented three experimental interventions (directly-communicated, self-generated, and hybrid) aligned with prior literature and designed to improve the utility value of lab reports in college settings. Participants (n = 1,002) were recruited from 43 lab sections of an introductory biology course at a large southeastern university. Measures of subjective task value (utility value, attainment value, cost, and intrinsic value) were collected pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. The self-generated and hybrid groups exhibited higher self-reported utility value by posttest compared to the control group. Requiring students to generate their own utility value toward a task, followed by a written reflection, increases students' maintained and situational interest for biology laboratory reports. |
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| Keywords: | educational intervention expectancy-value postsecondary education science utility value |
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