Mediating Students' Fixation with Grades in an Inquiry-Based Undergraduate Biology Course

The paper analyzes focus group data to explore student perceptions of an inquiry-based undergraduate biology course. Though the course was designed to mimic the scientific process by incorporating uncertainty, peer review, and self-reflection, students came to class focused on getting As and with a developed schema for didactic instruction and passive learning. They perceived the autonomy and self-directedness of the learning experience as a threat to their grades, and responded with strategies that protected their grades and ego, but were deleterious to learning. Students could identify merits of the inquiry-based approach; however, they made clear: they prioritized grades, and were unwilling to trust an unfamiliar pedagogy if they perceived it jeopardized their grades. In the framework of self-regulated learning, the discussion considers how to scaffold students to foreground learning over achievement.

Automated summary

The paper explores student perceptions of an inquiry-based biology course, finding that while students recognize the merits of the approach, they prioritize grades and are apprehensive towards unfamiliar pedagogy that may impact their grades. Thus, scaffolding students to prioritize learning over achievement becomes crucial.