Cagle Shelby M, Anderson Ashley A, Kelp Nicole C
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
Department of Journalism and Media Communication, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
J Res Sci Teach. 2025 Mar;62(3):721-755. doi: 10.1002/tea.21971. Epub 2024 Jul 16.
Teaching science in an age of disinformation and misinformation requires empowering students to address inaccurate information in evidence-based ways. Science communication scholarship highlights the growing importance of inclusive and relational approaches for addressing misinformation. Thus, we developed, implemented, and evaluated an interdisciplinary, graduate-level course for students in STEM, journalism/communication, and public health to learn to address misinformation using community-engaged, evidence-based approaches. We used the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical framework for our mixed-methods analysis of the efficacy of this course, assessing both the behaviors that students planned to utilize in community-engaged science communication to address misinformation, as well as the attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioral control that influenced these planned behaviors. Quantitative self-report metrics indicated that this curriculum increased students' subjective norms for misinformation correction as well as perceived behavioral control of science communication and science civic engagement. Thematic analysis of qualitative student interview data showed that the course helped students increase their plans for inclusive approaches to addressing misinformation. This study indicates the importance of community-engaged curriculum to develop the mindset and self-efficacy necessary for scientists-in-training to address misinformation in their communities.
在一个充斥着虚假信息和错误信息的时代教授科学，需要赋予学生以循证方式处理不准确信息的能力。科学传播学术研究凸显了采用包容性和关联性方法来应对错误信息的重要性与日俱增。因此，我们为理工科、新闻/传播学以及公共卫生专业的学生开发、实施并评估了一门跨学科的研究生课程，让他们学会运用社区参与的、循证的方法来处理错误信息。我们将计划行为理论作为理论框架，对该课程的效果进行混合方法分析，评估学生计划在社区参与的科学传播中用于处理错误信息的行为，以及影响这些计划行为的态度、规范和感知行为控制。定量的自我报告指标表明，该课程提高了学生纠正错误信息的主观规范，以及对科学传播和科学公民参与的感知行为控制。对学生定性访谈数据的主题分析表明，该课程帮助学生增加了采用包容性方法处理错误信息的计划。这项研究表明，社区参与课程对于培养未来科学家在其社区处理错误信息所需的思维模式和自我效能至关重要。
