A Study on Research Motivation Among Undergraduate Engineering Students: A Case Study
Research is a long-term investment, which will bring visibility and revenues for the country in the long run. In the context of product and service based organizations, research helps to know what products and services are actually needed by the customers, which is a cheaper option of manufacturing products, etc. It helps organizations to decide on the right price for the products and services as industry standard. Due to lack of research, Indian products fail to bridge the gap between the product or services and the faith of the customers. Research can be done by anyone, but academic institutions provide the necessary ambiance with the guidance of faculty, infrastructure and other resources needed for it. This research was conducted to identify motivation among under graduate students to pursue research at Regional Institute of Technology. The study focus was to find out if there were significant statistical differences on motivation factors. Mixed research approaches such as exploratory and descriptive were adopted. Non-probability sampling with convenience sampling method was used. Sample size comprised of three hundred and forty six subjects. The questionnaire was used in the survey for measuring motivation and was self-administered .Data collected was analyzed by using the statistical tests such as weighted arithmetic mean, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and Chi-square analysis. The results indicated that motivation scores were higher among students. Interestingly, no significant differences were found on motivation attributed to gender level. Proper guidance from faculty and institution’s infrastructure motivates students to pursue research at under graduate level. In conclusion, investment in research helps students to develop critical thinking ability and problem solving attitudes. The paper concludes with few recommendations and suggestions for future studies.
What can students learn from final year research projects?
Abstract Final year research projects are a feature of most biosciences undergraduate courses. However, in a climate of increasing student numbers there is growing interest in providing alternatives to such resource-intensive projects. This interest raises some key questions. In particular, what do students learn from traditional final year projects and can alternative teaching activities be found to achieve all or some of these learning aims? This report follows from a recent Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN) Biosciences workshop held in the UK: ‘Alternative Final Year Projects’. At the start of the workshop results from an educational research study were used to present a characterisation of student learning on ‘traditional’ final year research projects. This report summarises these findings and aims to promote a broad discussion about what traditional projects achieve, and what alternatives might be able to offer.
Research skills training for undergraduate researchers: the pedagogical approach of the STARS project
Abstract The Scientific Training by Assignment for Research Students (STARS) project (http://www.ucc.ie/research/stars) comprises of an internet-based learning resource that has been designed to help undergraduate students develop a number of fundamental skills associated with conducting scientific research. In particular, it aims to improve the ability of students to plan, design, manage and execute scientific research whilst providing opportunities for formative assessment and rapid feedback. We describe the content and pedagogical approach adopted by STARS with a particular emphasis on its incorporation of the principles of experiential learning. We use our experience of designing the STARS resource to reflect more generally on both science education and the development of research skills in undergraduate degrees.