ABSTRACT
Current trends that are likely to affect the future of undergraduate research include a growing emphasis on accountability at all levels of the American educational system, ongoing advances in educational technology, and a growing recognition of the interdependence that exists among the nations of the world. This chapter presents an analysis of the current social and political climate for undergraduate research, with attention to how it might influence the advancement of inquiry-based learning in the years ahead. Three specific trends are explored: the education reform movement, advances in instructional technology, and increasing global interdependence. Instructional programs for children represent just one type of partnership that has been formed between collegiate institutions and the K-12 school system. Efforts to quantify progress toward full participation are likely a reflection of both the priorities of the undergraduate research community itself and those of entities external to the academy.
