With an increasing number of students enrolled at the universities every year follows a student mass that is greatly diverse. The poster presentation will introduce a concrete study element from the University of Southern Denmark that is designed to embrace several aspects of students’ motivation as well as their diversity and plurality. The First Year Project is a mandatory project at the end of first year at the Science Faculty, where approximately 400 students conduct a (real) research project. The students prioritise projects from a broad selection of abstracts and are assigned a project in groups of 3-6 students. With inspiration from Deci and Ryans (1985) and Eccles and Wigfields (1995) theories of motivation the objective is to create: 1) feeling of competence; the students use their knowledge to perform actual research and convey this in both a report and at a poster session 2) sense of autonomy; the students chose the subject themselves and decide the course of action, 3) sense of relatedness; by group work and relations to the supervisors and the research groups 4) positive task value; the students works with their own interests doing authentic research and in many cases make a valuable contribution to an actual research project. In compliance with the idea of legitimate peripheral participation (Lave and Wegner, 1991), the students are invited into the world of scientific research and thereby taking the first step towards memberships of this community of practice. The project constitutes authentically research based teaching to a larger extent than teaching traditionally offers. Results from an exploratory pilot study of the motivational aspects of the First Year Project will be presented. With the focus described above a questionnaire has been constructed to reveal development potentials before a thorough evaluation of the fulfilment of the motivational objectives is completed in 2015. For statistical analyses, indexes of the feeling of competence, autonomy, relatedness and task value will be created. This will be supplemented with qualitative comments. Preliminary results suggest that the students are excited to work with a project of their own choice and interest, proud to present their result at the poster session and that the relation with the supervisor is critical to the feeling of being a part of and gaining insight into the world of scientific research.

1. Faculty of Science - University of Southern Denmark Nadia Rahbek Dyrberg
Participation in the community of scientific practice
- Motivational aspects of project work in large enrolment classes
Motivational theories
With inspiration from Deci and Ryan’s (1985) and Eccles and Wig-field’s
(1995) theories of motivation the objective is to create:
Sense of autonomy: Choosing subject and deciding course of action.
Feeling of competence: Using knowledge to perform actual research
and convey this in a report and a poster.
Sense of relatedness: Group work and relations to supervisors and
research groups.
Positive task value: Working with interests, doing authentic research
and making contributions to an actual research project.
Students’ experiences - a pilot study
Introduction
An increasing number of students enrolled at the universities
every year results in a greatly diverse student mass. This poster
introduces a study element ’The First Year Project’ from the
University of Southern Denmark. This intensive project based
course is designed to embrace several aspects of students’
motivation as well as their diversity and plurality.
The ’The First Year Project’ is popular among both students and
teachers as it gives an authentic glimpse of scientific research
complete with the subsequent dissemination of knowledge.
Community of practice
In compliance with the idea of legitimate peripheral participation
(Lave and Wegner, 1991), the students are invited into the world
of scientific research by their supervisor. Through The First Year
Project the students are taking their first step towards
membership of the scientific community of practice.
The project constitutes authentical research based teaching to a
larger extent than teaching traditionally offers at undergraduate
level.
A student describes
”The First Year Project is a great way to get a sense of what it is to
do research and to focus on a specific subject. It is a really good
way to finish the first year of studies...”
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
The groups generally established good
relations to their supervisor and each other.
Few had bad experiences that significantly
affected work atmosphere.
”… I have never before experienced such good
working relationship!”
” We could almost never reach him [the
supervisor]… he always seemed irritated”
Generally the students felt that they could
influence the project both as groups and as
individuals. However, some felt dominated by
other group members.
”My group was greatly free to shape the
project.”
”...they stuck together in all decisions and
outnumbered the rest of us..."
The project was exciting/interesting
(1: do not agree - 7: fully agree, n=174)
16%
25%
47%
1%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Don't
know
Conclusion and perspectives
The students’ comments reveal a diverse range of mostly great, but
also a few unfortunate experiences. The latter was often due to poor
relations in the group or with the supervisor.
Students are excited to work with a project of their own choice and
interest as well as the opportunity to influence the project work.
Some students feel unsure and hence insecure of the supervisor's
expectancies to their academic competences. Furthermore, differing
interpretations of course guidelines can lead to some groups feeling
unfairly treated. This might be a consequence of the large number of
supervisors involved in the course.
Stressing the importance of motivational elements as well as
inviting students into the science community, it is possible to foster
students’ motivation.
Contact Nadia Rahbek Dyrberg, PhD student, nrdk@sdu.dk
The First Year Project
The First Year Project is a mandatory 10 ECTS course at the end of
first year of studies at The Faculty of Science. During three months
the students conduct a (real) research project. The students
prioritise projects from a broad selection of abstracts and are
assigned projects in groups of three-six students. At the end of the
course, the students hand in a group report and present their
results in a poster session. Prizes are given for the best posters.
The course is completed with an oral individual exam.
Mini-courses and mid-way seminar
The students are offered a range of mini-courses in e.g. ’writing
scientific reports’ and ’making posters’. A mid-way seminar with
peer feedback on presentations of the projects’ progression helps
the groups taking stock on their project and getting inspired by the
ideas of other groups.
Participants in 2014
In all 529 persons were involved in the First Year Project in spring
2014: 371 students, 83 main supervisors, 42 co-supervisors, 15
mini course teachers, 16 poster session judges and two
administrators.
Course evaluation
The First Year Project was assessed by the students in a pilot study
questionnaire covering several aspects including motivational
elements. The response rate was 48 %. Selected results are seen in
the box ’Students’ experiences - a pilot study’.
References Deci, E.L. and Ryan, R.M., 1985. Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum.
2% 2% 3%
6%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Lave, J. and Wenger, E., 1991. Situated Learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.
Eccles, J.S. and Wigfield, A., 1995. In the Mind of the Actor: The Structure of Adolescents’ Achievement Task Values and Expectancy-Related Beliefs. Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.
3% 2%
11%
15%
27%
24%
17%
1%
0%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Don't
know
I felt academically prepared
to work on the project
(1: fully disagree - 7: fully agree, n=174)
Prioritise
projects
Assignment
of projects
Mini-courses
Mid-way
seminar
Submit
report
Poster
session
Exam
Further
research
↓
Publication