Opportunities for libraries to address research anxiety in undergraduate students in STEM fields
Many students pursuing STEM fields in the United States leave these subjects early on in their undergraduate studies, and this is especially true for under-represented groups of students. STEM retention is a multifaceted problem, and one emerging factor is research anxiety. Research anxiety produces...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Ubiquity Press
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Insights: The UKSG Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://account.insights.uksg.org/index.php/up-j-i/article/view/626 |
| _version_ | 1797655996733063168 |
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| author | Emily Henderson |
| author_facet | Emily Henderson |
| author_sort | Emily Henderson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many students pursuing STEM fields in the United States leave these subjects early on in their undergraduate studies, and this is especially true for under-represented groups of students. STEM retention is a multifaceted problem, and one emerging factor is research anxiety. Research anxiety produces negative feelings associated with scientific research, and these feelings can lead students to change their subjects of study, creating a smaller and less diverse pool of STEM graduates. Unpreparedness is a strong indicator of whether a student will experience research anxiety, so, theoretically, research anxiety may be combated by preparing students to partake in research early in their academic careers by strengthening their information literacy and library-related skills. Librarians are uniquely positioned to help alleviate this problem by providing programs centered on preparing students to partake in research-intensive assignments. However, in order to do so, research anxiety needs to be widely recognized, and librarian-led intervention needs to be specifically targeted towards this significant issue. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:22:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-95c2bc817eaa49769a433fbb81d44421 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2048-7754 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T17:22:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insights: The UKSG Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-95c2bc817eaa49769a433fbb81d444212023-10-19T08:14:45ZengUbiquity PressInsights: The UKSG Journal2048-77542023-09-0136181810.1629/uksg.626624Opportunities for libraries to address research anxiety in undergraduate students in STEM fieldsEmily Henderson0https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5073-6585Librarian, Columbus State Community College (Previously MSIS student University of Tennessee Knoxville)Many students pursuing STEM fields in the United States leave these subjects early on in their undergraduate studies, and this is especially true for under-represented groups of students. STEM retention is a multifaceted problem, and one emerging factor is research anxiety. Research anxiety produces negative feelings associated with scientific research, and these feelings can lead students to change their subjects of study, creating a smaller and less diverse pool of STEM graduates. Unpreparedness is a strong indicator of whether a student will experience research anxiety, so, theoretically, research anxiety may be combated by preparing students to partake in research early in their academic careers by strengthening their information literacy and library-related skills. Librarians are uniquely positioned to help alleviate this problem by providing programs centered on preparing students to partake in research-intensive assignments. However, in order to do so, research anxiety needs to be widely recognized, and librarian-led intervention needs to be specifically targeted towards this significant issue.https://account.insights.uksg.org/index.php/up-j-i/article/view/626research anxietystem retentioninformation literacy instruction |
| spellingShingle | Emily Henderson Opportunities for libraries to address research anxiety in undergraduate students in STEM fields Insights: The UKSG Journal research anxiety stem retention information literacy instruction |
| title | Opportunities for libraries to address research anxiety in undergraduate students in STEM fields |
| title_full | Opportunities for libraries to address research anxiety in undergraduate students in STEM fields |
| title_fullStr | Opportunities for libraries to address research anxiety in undergraduate students in STEM fields |
| title_full_unstemmed | Opportunities for libraries to address research anxiety in undergraduate students in STEM fields |
| title_short | Opportunities for libraries to address research anxiety in undergraduate students in STEM fields |
| title_sort | opportunities for libraries to address research anxiety in undergraduate students in stem fields |
| topic | research anxiety stem retention information literacy instruction |
| url | https://account.insights.uksg.org/index.php/up-j-i/article/view/626 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT emilyhenderson opportunitiesforlibrariestoaddressresearchanxietyinundergraduatestudentsinstemfields |