PROJECT DESIGN FACTORS THAT AFFECT STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THE SUCCESSOF A SCIENCE RESEARCH-PROJECT

Throughout the United States, various summer science programs for prec ollege students are conducted with an aim toward increasing the involv ement of young people in science. Most of these programs are perceived as successful by teachers and scientists because they involve student s in hands-on science activities, improve their scientific skills and confidence, and allow them the opportunity to use science to answer qu estions and solve problems. The work described here involves a detaile d assessment of a summer National Science Foundation (NSF) Young Schol ars Program, which was carried out over 2 summers. Student participant s were entering 9th and 10th grade. The data used for this assessment included journals kept by teaching assistants, questionnaires administ ered to the participants and parents, and interviews with the particip ants. Analysis revealed that students perceived program success differ ently from teachers and program organizers. Their perception of the su ccess of a program is directly related to whether or not their individ ual research project met its goals, regardless of other project activi ties. Designing projects that have a high likelihood of success from t his perspective can be complex, but this work identified six variables that must be incorporated appropriately into the design of a project to ensure its success: (1) extent of project structure and who structu res the project, faculty or student; (2) project relevance; (3) projec t flexibility; (4) project background research; (5) tangible results; and (6) project introduction.