Helping college students stay in biomedical majors
Supporting Student Agency in Undergraduate Biomedical Education
This project teaches introductory biomedical students strategies to take charge of their learning so more stay in their majors and do better in class.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143877 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are an undergraduate in an introductory biomedical course, researchers will work with whole classes at several universities and randomly give some classes a program that teaches flexible mindsets and practical engagement strategies while other classes get an alternative activity. They'll follow students over multiple semesters to see who continues in biomedical majors and how grades and motivation change. The team will collect surveys, classroom measures, and academic records to understand which psychological and classroom factors explain any differences. The goal is to identify approaches instructors and students can use to support persistence in biomedical fields.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Undergraduate students enrolled in introductory courses required for biomedical science majors at participating universities.
Not a fit: Students who are not enrolled in participating introductory biomedical courses or who attend non-participating schools are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help more students remain in biomedical majors, improve classroom motivation, and raise academic achievement.
How similar studies have performed: Early correlational and smaller experimental work suggests promise for agency-based approaches, but this large, multisite randomized trial is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, UNITED STATES
- University of Southern California — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patall, Erika a. — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Patall, Erika a.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.