An Integrated Secondary School STEM Research Program: Results, Challenges, and Opportunities

Numerous models exist for secondary school research programs, from summer extra-curricular programs lasting one or two weeks to more extended programs based in a student's school. The degree to which a research program is integrated into the culture and curriculum of a school may have a significant effect on the learning outcomes of the program. In this paper, we present survey results from a cohort of 44 students in a school-based, integrated STEM research program in which students complete a two-year, on-campus research project in a discipline of their choosing. Paired sample t-tests were used to test for differences between student responses following the 2017 and 2018 academic years. The results indicate statistically significant gains in dimensions such as understanding the nature of science, research skills, feeling part of a scientific community, and their likelihood of pursuing advanced degrees in STEM fields. In addition, we test for differences between juniors (one year in the research program) and seniors (two years) to determine there are significant gains associated with the second year of the program. The results of this comparison were non-significant and may suggest diminishing returns in the second year of the research experience. However, small sample sizes may have limited the power of this comparison; seniors do report higher gains than juniors in all variables measured across both years. The unique advantages, challenges, and opportunities associated with this integrated model of a secondary school research program are discussed, with particular attention to the role of internal mentors, the length of the research experience, and the relationship of the research program to school culture.