Online with LSE: Helping Others Is interesting: Promoting Science Interest with Prosocial Utility Value

Beliefs that science fields lack opportunities to fulfill prosocial goals, such as helping others and giving back to one’s community, reduce student interest in science, especially for racially minoritized individuals. In this session of Online with LSE, we will discuss how highlighting the prosocial utility value of science in learning activities, instruction, and materials (e.g., textbooks) can change these beliefs to promote undergraduate student interest in science.

Author: Jeanette Zambrano, doctoral student in Urban Education Policy with a concentration in Educational Psychology, University of Southern California

Paper URL: Highlighting Prosocial Affordances of Science in Textbooks to Promote Science Interest