New Perspectives in Science Education

Undergraduate science students are often introduced to scientific inquiry through structured laboratory experiences in which procedures are predetermined, and expected outcomes are largely known. Authentic undergraduate research provides a fundamentally different experience, allowing students to investigate questions with unknown answers while navigating the uncertainty, variability, and decision-making inherent in scientific practice. Such experiences contribute to students’ cognitive, personal, and professional development and their progression toward becoming scientists [1]. This paper examines the journey of a pre-veterinary medicine student from learning about scientific inquiry to actively participating in the production and communication of scientific knowledge. The undergraduate researcher developed and conducted an investigation of competition-associated changes in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) sensitivity in Western performance horses, an area of growing clinical and research interest in equine medicine [2]. Sixteen Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association performance horses were evaluated before, during, and following competition using a standardized palpation-based scoring protocol. Working within an interdisciplinary research team spanning agricultural science, veterinary medicine, and science education, the student engaged in authentic scientific practices including developing a researchable question, applying a systematic measurement protocol, collecting repeated measures under field conditions, managing naturally occurring variability, analyzing patterns in data, evaluating limitations, and communicating findings to scientific audiences. The educational significance extends beyond findings concerning equine TMJ sensitivity. The project demonstrates how a student’s disciplinary interests and career aspirations can provide a context for authentic scientific inquiry. The barn and competition arena became spaces where scientific questions emerged from observations of real phenomena rather than predetermined laboratory exercises. Using the undergraduate researcher’s experience as a case, this paper explores student ownership of research, interdisciplinary mentorship, authentic data collection, scientific communication, and emerging science identity. Her progression from a pre-veterinary medicine student interested in equine health to a researcher generating and communicating scientific evidence illustrates how authentic undergraduate research can provide students with opportunities to move beyond learning science toward participating in the scientific community.

Keywords: undergraduate research; authentic scientific inquiry; science identity; pre-veterinary education; equine science; STEM education

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