Evaluation of undergraduate research experience: Perceptions of undergraduate interns and their faculty mentors.

This study evaluated the extent to which 14 research skills were enhanced by science undergraduates participation i an undergraduate r search experience (URE). Fifty-seven undergraduates self-rated their ability to perform the skills at the beginning and end of the URE. Faculty mentors ratings of their respective interns skills served as an objective measure of intern skill level. Mentor and intern data revealed that he URE enhanced some skills better than others. At the end of the URE, female interns rated their ability to understand concepts in their field significantly lower than did male interns. Female interns also tended to perceive less of an increase in their ability to formulate research ypotheses than did male interns. Ten years ago, a report from the National Science Foundation (NSF; 1989) stated, It is clear that the aca-demic community regards the involvement of undergraduate student majors in meaningful research... with faculty members as one of the most powerful of instructional tools (p. 6). Since then, the engagement of undergraduates in such research internships has become an increasingly important