Are there any “science people” in undergraduate health science courses? Assessing science identity among pre-nursing and pre-allied health students in a community college setting

Abstract

Science identity, or one's sense of recognition and competence as a scientist, is an invaluable tool for predicting student persistence and success, but is understudied among undergraduates completing preparatory work for later studies in medicine, nursing, and allied health (“pre-health career students”). In the United States, pre-health career students make up approximately half of all biology students and, as professionals, play important roles in caring for an aging, increasingly diverse population, managing the ongoing effects of a pandemic, and navigating socio-political shifts in public attitudes toward science and evidence-based medicine. Pre-health career students are also often members of groups marginalized and minoritized in STEM education, and generally complete their degrees in community college settings, which are chronically under-resourced and understudied. Understanding these students' science identities is thus a matter of social justice and increasingly important to public health in the United States. We examined science identity and engagement among community college biology students using two scales established and validated for use with STEM students attending four-year institutions. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used on two sub-samples drawn from the pool of 846 participants to confirm that the factor structures functioned as planned among the new population. Science identity values were then compared between pre-health career students (pre-nursing and pre-allied health) and other groups. Pre-health career students generally reported interest and performance/competence on par with their traditional STEM, pre-med, and pre-dentistry peers, challenging popular assumptions about these students' interests and abilities. However, they also reported significantly lower recognition than traditional STEM and pre-med/dentistry students. The implications for public health, researchers, and faculty are discussed.