Current Status and Implementation of Science Practices in Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs): A Systematic Literature Review

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses within the years 2000 through 2020. The goals of this review were to 1) create a resource of STEM CUREs identified by their discipline, subdiscipline, and level; 2) determine the activities included in each CURE, particularly the primary components listed in the CURE definition as well as specific science practices we identified as key to scientific reasoning; and 3) identify the next steps needed in CURE creation and implementation. Our review found 242 CURE curricula described in 220 total articles, with most described in biology, although STEM disciplines, including chemistry and biochemistry, have begun to publish CURE curricula as well. We also found that most CUREs include the primary components. However, when we look at the specific science practices essential to scientific reasoning, we found that these are less common in many CUREs and are implemented differently. We encourage CURE authors to consider including these science practices and potentially measuring their impact on student outcomes. The present work provides a summary of the current published CUREs, their disciplines, course levels, primary components, and specific science practices.