Our research group conducts research at the intersection of science, educational systems, and society. We conduct educational research that:
- documents the institutional change that generates greater equity, inclusion, diversity, and justice in STEM fields,
- applies models of institutional change to higher education structures to generate greater equity, inclusion, diversity, and justice in STEM fields,
- identifies learning experiences that foster self-determination among future scientists to be change agents in their STEM discipline by addressing inequities and minoritization of identity groups,
- identifies learning experiences that foster an equity ethic among future scientists,
- identifies instructional methods that foster self-determination among members of the public to make science-informed decisions,
- identifies instructional methods that foster self-determination among future teachers to extend scientific thinking into their classrooms,
- identifies instructional methods that improve the scientific literacy of nonscientists and pre-service teachers.
Ongoing research projects
Amplifying Student Voice through STEM Ambassadors: Catalysts for Institutional Change
STEM Ambassadors are undergraduates who care deeply about equity, diversity, full access, and inclusion in STEM disciplines and engage in participatory action research to pursue these goals. Mentored by doctoral student Matthew Hagaman, STEM Ambassadors began their first year in college as STEM majors, during which time they documented their first-year experiences and collaborated to identify shared experiences among first-year STEM majors that impact inclusion and equity. In subsequent years of their college study, they continue their research and create programming that aims to evolve STEM disciplines toward more equitable and inclusive practices. STEM Ambassadors are paid student employees of ISU’s Center for Mathematics, Science, & Technology, and they fill a four-year position, which is intended to span their undergraduate study. Within the context of the STEM Ambassadors program, we plan to pursue questions such as:
- How does early engagement in participatory action research support the maturation of STEM students into becoming disciplinary change agents?
- To what extent does the institution “listen” to student voice amplified through participatory action research?
- What experiences occur during engagement in participatory action research that foster change agent competencies, namely code-switching abilities when communicating with different institutional roles, rapport-building, collaboration, and turning conflict into opportunities for positive change?
Catalyzing Institutional Change with the Science IS-U Scholars Program
The Science IS-U (pronounced “science is you”) Scholars Program are STEM majors who are committed to transforming STEM disciplines to be more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and anti-racist by utilizing their scientific expertise to pursue just, empathetic, and equitable solutions to societal problems. Scholars participate in the Science IS-U’s early arrival program, live on the co-sciences living/learning community their first two years, and participate in an all-expenses paid research internship. Doctoral student Blessing Soyebi is the graduate research assistant for this project. Within the context of the Science IS-U Scholars program, we pursue questions such as:
- How does programmatic/institutional valuing of the equity ethic impact students’ sense of belonging in their STEM discipline, particularly among students who already hold a strong equity ethic?
- How can the equity ethic be fostered among STEM majors?
- To what extent does the experience of leveraging one’s scientific knowledge to participate in civic engagement impact the equity ethic among STEM majors?
- To what extent does engaging in critical evidence evaluation related to local, community problems impact the equity ethic among STEM majors?
- How do students’ equity ethic and self-determination toward STEM learning, participating in research, and their STEM career, in combination and together, influence their persistence in their chosen STEM discipline?
- To what extent and through what means are STEM majors who hold a strong equity ethic agents of change in their STEM disciplines?
Publications
Asterisks indicate coauthors who were students at the time of publication. All authorship decisions regarding articles arising from our research group follow our authorship policy.
Korkor E* & Darner R. (In press). The CURE-Comm Framework: A guide for infusing CUREs with science communication. Journal of College Science Teaching.
Rahman M*, Soule D, Darner R, Kelly M, Farrell E. (In press). Impact of vignettes on statistical literacy and persistence of alternative conceptions in undergraduate STEM. School Science and Mathematics.
Meixner T, Ciancarelli B*, Farrell EP, Silva Garcia D*, Josek T, Kelly MM, Meister P, Soule D, & Darner R. (2023). Asynchronous student engagement in analysis of climate data achieves learning objectives related to climate change understanding, statistical competence, and climate anxiety. Journal of Geoscience Education. doi: 10.1080/10899995.2023.2193810
Jin G, Wodika AB, Darner R, & Lai J. (2023). Fostering scientific literacy with problem sets that generate cognitive presence and fulfill basic psychological needs. Journal of College Science Teaching, 52(7), 85-95.
O’Reilly CM, Josek T, Darner R, & Fortner SK. (2022). Pedagogy of teaching with large datasets: Designing and implementing effective data-based activities. Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Education, 50(5), 466-472. doi: 10.1002/bmb.21663
Baldwin KE*, Darner R. (2021). Preservice science and mathematics teachers’ acculturation into communities of practice: A call for undergraduate research in science and mathematics teacher preparation. Journal of STEM Teacher Education, 56(1).
Jayasinghe I*, Darner R. (2021). Do emotions, nature relatedness, and conservation concern influence students’ evaluations of arguments about biodiversity conservation? Interdisciplinary Journal of Environmental & Science Education. doi: 10.29333/ijese/9157
Sparks RA*. Darner R. (2020). Fostering nonscientist thinking on evolution concepts through the Teaching for Transformative Experiences in Science (TTES) model. Journal of College Science Teaching, 50(2), 41-48.
Sparks RA*, Baldwin KE*, Darner R. (2020). Using culturally relevant pedagogy to reconsider the genetics canon. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 21(1).
Darner R. (2019). How can educators confront science denial? Educational Researcher. doi: 10.3102/0013189X19849415
Stomberg JF*, Walder MR*, & Darner R. (2018). A laboratory activity to engage college students in habitat suitability analysis to teach conservation, ecology, and evolution. The American Biology Teacher. doi: 10.1525/abt.2018.80.6.438.
Soule D, Darner R, O’Reilly CM, Bader NE, Meixner T, Gibson CA, & McDuff RE. (2018). EDDIE modules are effective learning tools for developing quantitative literacy and seismological understanding. Journal of Geoscience Education. doi: 10.1080/10899995.2018.1411708.
Darner R. (2014). Influences on students’ environmental self-determination and implications for science curricula. International Journal of Environmental & Science Education 9, 21-39.
Darner R. (2011). An empirical test of self-determination theory as a guide to fostering environmental motivation. Environmental Education Research18(4), 463-472.
Darner R. (2009). Self-determination theory as a guide to fostering environmental motivation. Journal of Environmental Education 40(2): 39-49.