Student Participation in Ecological Research: Preliminary Insights from Students' Experiences in the Smoky Mountains.

Students participating in summer research internships at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park kept electronic journals to document their experiences. We used a combined content analysis to quantify the responses from the students in particular areas of interest and to understand the essence of experiences from the explanations provided in their journals. The major themes that emerged were adventures in nature, becoming a scientist, and application of science and math knowledge. Though the sample size was small, the students' journals illustrate the value of research experiences for young people.