Session D: 3:30PM – 5PM
Sciences. Session D – Oral Presentations. Collegiate Room, Union
SESSION D (3:30-5:00PM)
COLLEGIATE ROOM, A. Ray Olpin University Union
Changes in Evolutionary Acceptance Following Introductory Biology, 2011-2021
Sawyer Baum, Utah Valley University
Faculty Mentor T. Heath Ogden, Utah Valley University
SESSION D 3:30-3:45PM
Collegiate, Union
Science and Technology
In 2019 Miller and colleagues found that 52% of the general public accepted evolution compared to only 45% in 1985. This change in acceptance is most likely influenced by multiple factors, education, decreased religiosity, age, role models, and survey format (Miller et al., 2006; Barnes et al., 2019; Holt et al., 2018 & Pew Research Center, 2019). Our objective in this study was to identify any trends that might have been present among Introductory Biology students at a large public university over 2011-2021. During that time period students were asked if they accepted biological evolution before and after the semester’s instruction. We found an increase in both student’s acceptance of evolution over that time period with 25% of students accepting evolution in 2011 and 44% in 2021. In this study, there were two types of course delivery, face-to-face and online courses, all of which were given the same question and survey delivery. There was no significant difference in acceptance between course structure as there was a 28% and 26% increase on average in acceptance for face-to-face courses and online courses following respectively. Overall, acceptance of evolution is increasing among Introductory Biology students both prior and after the semester.
Medical Conditions and Stem Motivation at an Open Enrollment Institution
Porter Bischoff, Utah Valley University
Faculty Mentor Britt Wyatt, Utah Valley University
SESSION D 3:50-4:05PM
Collegiate, Union
Science
Prior research has investigated the recruitment and retention of certain student identities (such as gender and ethnicity) in STEM courses and careers. Recruitment and retention in STEM can be influenced by a student’s connection to the STEM community, science identity, and engagement. Yet none of this research has investigated the impact of having either a medical experience or chronic condition on our STEM students despite other research indicating medical students with medical conditions are less likely to complete their degree. Additionally, individuals with medical conditions tend to feel disconnected from others and experience higher levels of stress during their life. Thus, it is important to study the potential impacts of medical experiences and conditions on undergraduate students. This study explores the potential impacts of having a medical experience or chronic condition on students taking science classes at an open enrollment institution. Specifically, we hypothesized acute medical experiences may include a limited number of interruptions to one’s daily lifestyle and education and thus have a smaller