Testing a weekly utility value intervention in college physics and chemistry courses

Abstract

We developed, implemented, and evaluated a weekly utility-value intervention (UVI) in which college students were asked to reflect on the value of course content using a brief writing prompt for 13 consecutive weeks in two separate courses: physics (N = 631) and chemistry (N = 1,348). We used a randomized controlled trial and examined effects on weekly course importance value, weekly course interest, final course interest, STEM career intentions, and performance. Multilevel modeling and linear regression revealed that in both courses, those who participated in the weekly UVI had higher average weekly importance value (d_physics = 0.20, d_chemistry = 0.08) and weekly interest (d_physics = 0.18, d_chemistry = 0.10) compared to those in the control group. In chemistry, the weekly UVI was also found to be effective in increasing final course interest (d = 0.10) and STEM career intentions (d = 0.11). In physics, the weekly UVI increased course grades for racially marginalized students, when compared to racially marginalized students in the control group (d_{raciallymarginalized} = 0.48, d_{nonraciallymarginalized} = 0.04). Finally, in chemistry, the weekly UVI increased course grades for women, when compared to women in the control group (d_women = 0.08, d_men = 0.07). The positive effects on weekly importance value and interest in both courses demonstrate the potential of brief weekly motivational interventions that do not require extensive instructor burden for enhancing college students’ STEM interest and participation. However, mixed long-term effects, course-specific effects, and inconsistent patterns of moderation point to important boundary conditions that may constrain the effectiveness of weekly UVIs unless researchers take steps to mitigate them in future research.