Fieldwork's Hidden Power
How Place Shapes the Next Generation of Ecologists
The remote alpine landscape did more than just teach research skills—it forged a scientific community.
Imagine standing in an alpine meadow as a new graduate student, surrounded by a cohort of faces you barely know. The air is thin, the research is challenging, and the nearest town is miles away. This immersive experience, as research now reveals, does more than just teach ecological methods—it fundamentally shapes how students see themselves as scientists and their sense of belonging in the scientific community.
For decades, ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB) have struggled with a persistent lack of diversity, with natural sciences remaining among the least diverse STEM fields 1 . This diversity gap begins at the undergraduate level and continues through graduate programs, ultimately affecting the professional workforce 1 . But emerging research points to a powerful, often overlooked factor that could help address this imbalance: the transformative role of place in fostering belonging and science identity.
"The physical and social contexts in which [graduate students] engage play a critical role in shaping their sense of belonging, academic success, and personal development" 2 .
This article explores how intentionally designed field experiences are helping to create a more inclusive and effective scientific community.
Why Place Matters in Science Education
More Than Just a Location
Place-Based Education
Transforms field sites into dynamic classrooms
Three Needs
Autonomy, competence, and relatedness
Connections with Earth
Relationship between students and biological places
In ecology education, "place" represents far more than a geographic location—it's a rich tapestry where ecological, cultural, historic, and personal elements interact to shape learning and identity 2 . This concept, known as "place-based education," transforms field sites into dynamic classrooms where students develop connections to both the natural world and their scientific community.
Recent research has revealed that place-based fieldwork fulfills three fundamental psychological needs essential for student motivation and persistence 2 :
Autonomy
The sense of control over one's own path, developed when students adapt to unfamiliar environments
Competence
The confidence in executing field skills used by professional scientists
Relatedness
The experience of belonging to a group and forming attachments within a scientific community
These elements form what researchers call "Connections with Earth"—the complex relationship between students and the biological, ecological, or geological places where they engage with science 2 . This connection doesn't just make for memorable experiences; it fundamentally influences students' career trajectories in science.
The FIRED UP Program: A Case Study in Place-Based Learning
Designing for Belonging and Identity
To understand how place shapes science identity, researchers conducted a comprehensive evaluation of FIRED UP (Field-Intensive Research Emphasizing Diversity UP in the alpine), a pre-graduate school field program in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder 1 . This two-year study followed incoming graduate students as they participated in an intentionally designed immersive field experience.
The program was built on the hypothesis that "the interplay of students' identities and contextual factors influence how students perceive their sense of belonging in field-based disciplines" 1 . Unlike traditional field courses that focus solely on technical skills, FIRED UP deliberately emphasized both field competency and cohort bonding as dual pillars of the experience.
Research Methodology Components
How Place Fosters Scientific Community
Remote Location Forces Interaction
Being together in a remote field location naturally encouraged relationship-building that would have taken much longer to develop in traditional campus settings.
Disciplinary Skills Build Confidence
As students mastered field techniques together, they developed shared confidence in their collective ability to function as scientists.
Formative Challenges Create Bonds
Navigating physical and intellectual challenges created powerful shared memories that became the foundation of lasting professional relationships.
One of the most significant findings was that these place-based experiences were particularly valuable for "students marginalized in STEM disciplines as they enter graduate school" 1 . For these students, the early community formation helped counter the isolation and structural barriers that often contribute to attrition in graduate programs.
The Science Behind the Scenes: Research Framework and Tools
Theoretical Foundations
The research on place and science identity draws from several established theoretical frameworks:
Phenomenological Variant Ecological Systems Theory
This approach helps researchers understand how students' identities interact with contextual factors in field settings 1 .
Self-Determination Theory
This framework identifies autonomy, competence, and relatedness as three basic psychological needs that influence motivation and persistence 2 .
Sense of Place Theory
This examines both place attachment (emotional bonds to places) and place meaning (symbolic associations people assign to places) 6 .
Together, these frameworks help explain why place-based experiences can be so transformative—they simultaneously address multiple psychological needs that are crucial for long-term persistence in scientific fields.
The Researcher's Toolkit
| Research Component | Function | Application in FIRED UP Study |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-structured interviews | Gather rich, qualitative data on student experiences | Conducted at various phases to track identity development |
| Surveys | Collect broader quantitative and qualitative feedback | Administered multiple times to capture evolving perceptions |
| Focus groups | Understand collective experiences and social dynamics | Revealed how cohort bonding developed over time |
| Place attachment assessment | Measure emotional and symbolic connections to location | Documented students' growing bonds with the alpine environment |
| Identity mapping | Track changes in self-perception as scientists | Captured development of science identity throughout program |
Implications for Building a More Inclusive Scientific Future
Transforming Graduate Education
The findings from this research offer actionable insights for creating more effective and inclusive graduate programs in ecology and evolutionary biology:
Intentional program design matters
The success of FIRED UP wasn't accidental—it resulted from carefully balancing technical skill development with community building activities 1 .
Timing is crucial
Offering place-based experiences at the beginning of graduate programs can establish supportive networks before academic pressures intensify.
Place selection reinforces disciplinary identity
Conducting fieldwork in locations relevant to the discipline helps students envision themselves as future professionals in their field 2 .
Remote locations have unique value
Being away from campus distractions and daily routines facilitates the deep immersion necessary for community formation.
Impact on Student Outcomes
Addressing Systemic Challenges
Perhaps most importantly, this research highlights how place-based experiences can help address persistent diversity challenges in ecology and evolutionary biology. When designed with inclusion at their core, these programs can:
Create Early Support Networks
For students from marginalized groups to counter isolation and imposter syndrome.
Demonstrate Institutional Commitment
To diverse student success through intentional program design.
"It is the responsibility of STEM graduate educational programs to introduce changes that can lead to more inclusion and foster a sense of belonging for individuals from marginalized backgrounds" 1 .
Place-based education represents a promising approach to meeting this responsibility.
The Future of Fieldwork
As environmental challenges grow more complex, the need for diverse, well-trained ecological scientists has never been greater. The research on place-based learning suggests that the future of ecology education might lie in returning to its roots—literally getting out in the field—while applying modern understanding of how students develop scientific identities.
What makes this approach particularly powerful is its ability to address two crucial needs simultaneously: training technically competent scientists while fostering the inclusive communities necessary to retain diverse talent. As one study puts it, "Creating spaces that nurture collaboration, allow students to enact disciplinary skills, and present students with formative challenges can enhance academic resilience and self-confidence" 2 .
"Creating spaces that nurture collaboration, allow students to enact disciplinary skills, and present students with formative challenges can enhance academic resilience and self-confidence" 2 .
The message for graduate programs is clear: the places where we teach ecology may be as important as the skills we teach. By intentionally designing field experiences that blend technical rigor with community building, we can create a more inclusive and effective scientific community—one capable of addressing the complex environmental challenges of our time.
Fieldwork's Transformative Power
Immersive experiences in meaningful places create scientists who are both technically skilled and deeply connected to their community.
Field experiences build both technical skills and community bonds
References
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