Beef, bees, and biodiversity: A mixed-methods study exploring undergraduate students’ efficacy and experiences with a community science intervention
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2025-04-15
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Experiential learning in higher education is often undervalued due to logistical issues and concerns that reduced lecture time diminishes science content knowledge. This mixed-methods research explores the experiences and effects of a community (citizen) science intervention on undergraduate students’ efficacy in scientific learning, practice, and environmental action. The eight-week intervention was conducted at a private university as part of a general studies course for both major and non-major students in a Ranch Management department. Participants (N=34) were selected based on course enrollment, and data were collected from pre- and post-surveys and student artifacts. The findings indicate that engagement in the intervention significantly increased students’ self-efficacy for learning and doing science while improving content knowledge and enhancing environmental collective efficacy, personal agency, and critical scientific literacy. Results highlight the benefits of community science in higher education, demonstrating that experiential learning can enhance comprehension, foster higher-order thinking, and cultivate pro-environmental behaviors.
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