Writing Stories in the Sciences

Writing stories is advocated as an excellent means of learning the process of science; however, little is understood about students’ experiences of engaging in story writing in postsecondary science courses. Our study was designed to improve the practice of using stories in the sciences by examining students’ lived experience through interviews, surveys, and observations. Students perceived the learning goal as public outreach and networking with the science community rather than learning the process of science. They reported difficulty blending science into narratives and requested structured guidance throughout the process. Without such guidance, some found it difficult to engage in this autonomous, nontraditional assignment. We integrated students’ suggestions into the next implementation while keeping some elements open-ended. Narrative writing holds potential for gaining more hands-on knowledge of the processes of science and communicating scientific findings to a general audience, as well as enhancing self-knowledge about academic interests.