Cultivating 'scientific identity': Insights from plant cell and developmental biology.
Drew MT, Nagel DH
Science Education
Behind every seed packet bred for disease resistance or drought tolerance is a generation of plant scientists whose early lab experiences — growing, observing, and dissecting plant cells — determined whether they stayed in the field or walked away.
Becoming a scientist isn't just about learning facts — it's about developing a personal connection to the work. This study looks at how studying plant cells and how plants grow helps people build that sense of 'I am a scientist.' Plant biology, with its visible, tangible processes, may be a particularly powerful setting for that transformation.
Key Findings
Plant cell and developmental biology contexts are used as a lens to study how scientific identity forms in learners or early-career researchers.
The framing implies that hands-on or conceptual engagement with plant systems contributes meaningfully to how individuals adopt a scientific self-concept.
Note: abstract unavailable — findings above are inferred from title only and should be verified against full text.
chevron_right Technical Summary
This paper examines how plant cell and developmental biology classrooms or research settings shape students' sense of themselves as scientists — exploring what it means to 'become' a scientist through hands-on engagement with living plant systems.
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Plant science, also known as botany or phytology, is the branch of biology dedicated to studying plants — encompassing their anatomy, taxonomy, physiology, ecology, and evolution across roughly 410,000 known land species. It provides the foundational framework for understanding how plants grow,
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