High-Impact Undergraduate Research Metaphors

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Students gather around in a research lab
9.2, Meyer
Published: Jun 2, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46787/elthe.v9.6253
Keywords:
experiential learning, High-impact practices (HIPs) ;, institutional change, metaphor analysis

Main Article Content

Marcy Meyer
Ball State University

Abstract

This study explores metaphors that emerged from students’ experiences with high-impact undergraduate research in a midsized Midwestern university in the USA. A metaphor analysis of 25 students’ essays revealed that they were most likely to frame their experiences with high-impact undergraduate research as a journey, sports, or architecture. Overall, there were more differences than similarities between the high-impact undergraduate research metaphors generated by students and those employed by faculty members in previous research. These findings have important implications for practice, as well as for future research about learning, teaching, and institutional change.

Article Details

How to Cite
Meyer, M. (2026). High-Impact Undergraduate Research Metaphors. Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 9(2 - June), 18–31. https://doi.org/10.46787/elthe.v9.6253
Issue
Vol. 9 No. 2 - June (2026): Experiential Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
Section
Peer-Reviewed Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author Biography

Marcy Meyer, Ball State University

Marcy Meyer is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Ball State University and an associate editor for Art/Research International: A Transdisciplinary Journal. A winner of the ICA Redding Dissertation Award and the CSCA Federation Prize, Marcy conducts research about arts-based research pedagogy, iconographic research poetry, organizational communication, innovation, and mentoring.