Students in skills-focused labs show comparable gains across outcomes linked to persistence to students in a CURE-based course

Expanding access to authentic experimental science experiences beyond students who conduct traditional undergraduate research is critical to broadening participation in physics and improving retention. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) offer an effective way of integrating authentic physics into the standard undergraduate curriculum. However, CUREs are resource intensive, and little work has compared relevant student outcomes in physics CUREs to those of skills-focused introductory labs that similarly emphasize experimental practices. To address this gap, we conducted a controlled study between students enrolled in a CURE-based course relevant to experimental particle physics and a skills-focused introductory physics lab. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to assess changes in students' critical thinking about and attitudes toward physics experimentation. We observe no significant difference in student gains between the two lab types across several constructs linked to persistence in physics, including belonging, agency, and self-efficacy. In this talk, I will discuss these results and their implications for designing scalable classroom experiences to engage students in the skills and practices of experimental physics.