Scientific research to improve undergraduate critical thinking ability?At least 3 items, "running legs" is useless ...

Text ｜ Zhang Qinggen (Associate Professor of Teachers Academy of Huazhong University of Science and Technology)

Scientific research participation is often known as a highly influential education practice activity. It has paid more attention to the practice of college talent training, and enhances my country's undergraduate students through the establishment of scientific research training courses, organizing scientific research activities, and providing special scientific research funds. The degree of participation of scientific research. However, whether scientific research can promote the improvement of the professional knowledge of undergraduate students and the development of high -level cognitive capabilities is still the topic of attention from all walks of life.

The academic community has a lot of research on scientific research and its results in undergraduate students, but most of them are based on interview materials of teachers and students, students' self -aggressive quantitative tables, or simplified self -evaluation data. Research on the effectiveness of scientific research on objective tracking and evaluation data is relatively lacking.

In this regard, the research team of "National Undergraduate Capability Tracking Evaluation and Survey" of the University of Science and Technology of China was conducted three years of tracking evaluation and investigation of 1409 undergraduates from 2016 to 2019. It used localized testing tools to objectively evaluate undergraduate students The development of critical thinking ability, which provides a data basis for objective evaluation of the effectiveness of undergraduate scientific research.

It should be noted that due to the impact of the epidemic, the research team has been unable to organize on -site centralized evaluation and investigation across the country in the past two years, causing data to be updated to the end of 2019. However, this research results are still practical to reveal the scientific research participation of undergraduates and their effectiveness.

There is a mutation effect in scientific research participation

From the perspective of participating in scientific research, 509 of 1409 people participated in scientific research projects (36.12%), of which nearly half of them (48.7%) participated in one scientific research project, 33.4%of students participated in two scientific research projects, 17.9%17.9% Students participated in three or above scientific research projects. On the whole, the coverage of undergraduate scientific research is still small, and the number of participation is generally small.

From the perspective of the most deepest participation scientific research projects, undergraduate students participate in more projects (61.5%) hosted by teachers in this major, followed by the projects (24.2%) applied for themselves. From the perspective of scientific research projects with the deepest degree of participation, the most are the school -level projects (51.1%), followed by national projects (23.6%), and the third is provincial and ministerial projects (20.0%). The proportion of other types of projects is relatively relatively few. Judging from the roles undertaken in scientific research projects with the deepest participation, the proportion of core members (32.4%) from high to low is the core member (32.4%), the person in charge (30.3%), the general participants (22.2%), the main executor (15.1%) Essence

As a carrier of promoting students' development, undergraduate scientific research is a comprehensive practical activity that is subject to the impact of colleges and disciplines, focusing on professional knowledge acquisition and application, focusing on team communication and interaction. In the participation of specific scientific research, undergraduates need to use the professional knowledge and existing learning and understanding ability of learning, and find valuable research topics selection, build meticulous scientific research and design, find effective and reliable demonstration basis, criticize the results of critical analysis, integrated integration, integration Or update or even subverts existing knowledge, reflect on the problems and deficiencies existing in research.

The above these all require undergraduate students to learn and use cognitive skills such as understanding, analysis, demonstration, and interpretation in the scientific research process. These are the core skills of critical thinking ability. In other words, undergraduate participation in scientific research is not only a process of exploring problems and promoting knowledge, but also a process of training and improving critical thinking. The results of the survey also show that overall, scientific research participation experience can significantly improve the criteria of undergraduate critical thinking, and its increasing calculation score is 2.413 points.

However, scientific research activities are independent and inquiry practical activities. They are affected by factors such as subjective initiative and external environmental guidance (such as teacher incentives and guidance, peers exchange, etc.). The process of scientific research participation must be different. Among them, the number of participating scientific research projects is an important reflection of students' investment level, and the amount of quantitative changes can achieve qualitative changes.

Theoretically, from the "novice" of scientific research to "cooked hands", from blank to proficiency, from participation to dominance, it is based on the accumulation of a lot of experience. Students must engage in a number of scientific research work before they can establish a scientist status and develop. Cognitive quality required for scientific research. The survey results show that if undergraduate students only participate in 1-2 scientific research projects, it will not significantly improve their critical thinking ability. Only participating in 3 or more scientific research projects can be effective. The degree of improvement can reach 4.167 points. Essence

Participating in scientific research project levels is not the key

一般而言，高级别科研项目的研究团队规模更大、资深教师或专家更多，本科生参与其中，能得到更多高水平科研指导、高质量师生或生生互动、充足资源支持、更严峻The challenges of scientific research tasks, etc., prompted undergraduates to grow rapidly in "Gan Middle School".

However, the premise of this rapid growth is "high -quality depth participation", rather than only marginal participation, such as "experimental timers", "data entryrs" and "running legs" and other general affairs activities. This has also been verified in this survey -participating in national or provincial and ministerial projects may not bring the development of critical thinking ability.

An important dimension of evaluating undergraduate scientific research participation is what the role of undergraduates in the scientific research process. Compared to participating in teachers' scientific research projects, the scientific research projects that students apply for themselves need to be keenly capture valuable scientific issues, find scientific argumentation basis, and have strict and meticulous thinking methods. The survey found that participating (hosting) the projects I have applied can significantly improve the critical thinking ability of undergraduate students, and the score can reach 4.842 points. Although participating in this professional teacher project can also be affected by the development of the critical thinking ability of undergraduates, but The results are not significant.

From the perspective of the specific roles, only as the person in charge or core member can significantly improve the criticism of undergraduates, and the improvement effects are 2.053 and 3.790 points, respectively. As the main performers or general participants, etc., it can not promote the development of criticism of undergraduates, and even play a negative role. This also reflects the participation of scientific research as a continuous, gradual and developmental practice activity. The longer the undergraduate students have been working in the same scientific research project, the greater the improvement of their personal ability.

Promoting high -quality scientific research participation should be multi -pronged

Based on the above analysis, in my opinion, in order to promote the high -quality scientific research participation of undergraduates, we must start from the following levels.

First, further expand the coverage of scientific research in school students. In addition to expanding the investment and establishment of differentiated scientific research project applications and management platforms, and improving the scientific research participation system, which expands the undergraduate research fund input, and attract undergraduate participation in scientific research, universities should cultivate the self -consciousness and enthusiasm of undergraduate students to participate in scientific research, and try scientific research activities. Integrated into the talent training course and credit system, and through the formal training system internalization of scientific research activities, the participating scientific research has been converted from the freedom option of undergraduate students to a limited option or a must option.

In this regard, you need to pay special attention to avoid entering two misunderstandings: First, disconnect with practice, especially in the field of social sciences, there are many differences in the inquiry of scientific research in the course and problems in real situations; Scientific research activities are the journey to explore the unknown world. There are no established procedures and boundaries, and even do not know the direction of the forward. You need to use critical thinking to continue to find itself.

Secondly, improve the quality of scientific research participation undergraduate students, and maximize the cognitive potential of undergraduates. When expanding the coverage of undergraduate scientific research, scientific methods and methods need to be adopted, such as segmented configuration and ladder advancement. The professional basic knowledge, academic theoretical system, and logical thinking ability of undergraduates all have a gradual process. Critical thinking ability cannot be produced out of the foundation of knowledge. It is necessary to combine specific current real situation and professional knowledge reserves to continuously apply and train thinking skills or methods to improve.

When configuring the opportunity of scientific research participation, colleges and universities should fully follow the natural process, provide experience -based observation learning opportunities for low -grade students, open space for open and independent search for senior students, guide, press the burden, and re -explore, and make them the core of scientific research projects. Members and even the project leader, inspire their deep participation as much as possible.

Third, optimize the internal and external guarantee system for scientific research. On the outside, it is necessary to vigorously promote the construction of the integration of science and education integration talents. Universities should actively establish cooperation mechanisms with scientific research institutes and enterprise industrial research and development platforms, make full use of high -quality resources from all walks of life, penetrate academic training channels and methods, and let undergraduate students really have the opportunity to participate in scientific inquiry activities in practice.

Internally, we need to improve the scientific research capabilities such as "freshman seminars", "academic cutting -edge lectures", "scientific research method training" to improve the curriculum system, and build "team support plans", "seniors' biography" and "scientific research mentor system" and other scientific research participation support The system, to create a scientific research atmosphere of truth, exploration, fault tolerance, daring to question, and prudent verification in the field of knowledge areas, and promote high -quality participation in scientific research and practice activities in all aspects of undergraduate students.

Finally, the evaluation of the results of undergraduate scientific research participation was introduced in a timely manner. What the results of scientific research are effective? The teachers and students of the research team have the most right to speak. They are both evaluating objects and key evaluation subjects. Universities should improve the design of the evaluation system, encourage them to conduct subjective and objective evaluations of undergraduate scientific research participation activities, and substantially promote the improvement of the degree of investment and quality of undergraduate scientific research. In terms of evaluation indicators, in addition to paying attention to consulting reports, academic papers, editors, patent applications, event awards, and deputy school levels, etc., they should also focus on examining the high -level thinking ability of undergraduates, especially critical thinking ability, especially critical thinking ability. Development.

"China Science News" (2022-07-26 The 3rd edition of the original title "What kind of scientific research participation can improve the critical thinking ability of undergraduate students"))

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