Preparing Students for Nuclear Science: Identity Development in a Preinternship Course

Undergraduate research experiences (UREs) and internships provide students with opportunities to engage in authentic scientific practices, yet less is known about how students are best prepared to enter these intense research environments. This study examined students’ experiences in a nuclear chemistry course designed to prepare them for a summer internship at a national laboratory. Using Hyater-Adams et al.’s Critical Physics Identity framework, adapted to the context of experimental nuclear science, we analyzed semistructured interviews from five undergraduate students. Findings indicate that the instructor, peer cohort, and field trips served as important relational and material resources; however, students did not interpret these resources uniformly. Rather, prior experiences, confidence, and self-doubt shaped how students engaged with and made meaning of shared course experiences. Consequently, the same course structures affected identity development in ways that were unique to each student. The adapted framework provided a lens for understanding how students differentially interpreted ideational, relational, and material resources as they developed identities in relation to nuclear science. These findings suggest that courses designed to prepare students for research experiences should incorporate regular check-ins and mentoring structures that help students navigate the social and emotional challenges associated with developing expertise, including concerns about competence, comparison with peers, and the legitimacy of their emerging scientific ideas.