Decoding Undergraduate Research: Case Study of STEM Students at a Chinese Research University

In an era in which artificial intelligence accelerates both the creation and obsolescence of knowledge, higher education faces the urgent challenge of preparing graduates not only with disciplinary expertise but also with the capacity to learn, unlearn, and relearn across uncertain futures. Among the educational practices proposed to address this challenge, undergraduate research experiences (UREs) have been widely recognized as high-impact practices, yet the mechanisms through which they cultivate metacognitive development remain underexplored. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 12 undergraduates with STEM-oriented research experience at a Chinese research university, this study investigates how UREs foster three forms of metacognitive knowledge: strategic knowledge, task knowledge, and self-knowledge. The findings show that these capacities are selectively supported by three mechanisms: (1) structured and appropriately challenging disciplinary instruction, (2) gradual participation in authentic research workflows, and (3) reflective and individualized mentor feedback. By mapping the alignment between forms of metacognitive knowledge and the mechanisms that promote them, the study conceptualizes UREs as a conditional high-impact practice. Beyond their immediate academic outcomes, UREs are argued to serve as a natural response to the problem of knowledge obsolescence, equipping undergraduates with the enduring capacity for metacognitive regulation and adaptive learning in the age of AI.