Academics' perceptions of the purpose of undergraduate research experiences in a research-intensive degree

Anna Wilson, Susan Howitt, Kate Wilson, Pamela Roberts

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    25 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The inclusion of research experiences as core components of undergraduate
    curricula implies that students will be exposed to and situated within the research activities of their university. Such experiences thus provide a new prism through which to view the relations between teaching, research and learning. The intentions and actions of academics supervising these activities will be strongly influenced by their beliefs regarding the nature of research, and the relation between research and learning in the undergraduate context. Surveys of academics supervising such experiences reveal a range of intentions, only some of which address the higher order and critical thinking skills associated with research or independent learning. This may indicate a lack of deep reflection on the purpose of exposing undergraduates to research, but may also be due to the predominance of a hierarchical view of the process by which one makes the transition from student to researcher.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)513-526
    Number of pages14
    JournalStudies in Higher Education
    Volume37
    Issue number5
    Early online date20 May 2011
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2012

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