Enhancing the Undergraduate Research Experience

1. Enhancing the Undergraduate Research Experience GBrewer@UCLan.ac.uk

2. Undergraduate Research • Inter-relationship between teaching and research distinguishes Higher Education from other forms of education • Benefits of Engagement in Research • Deep approaches to learning • Research skill acquisition • Degree completion and higher degree aspirations • Research careers and postgraduate education

3. Healey (2005) • Four primary ways in which undergraduates may engage with research and inquiry

4. Levy (2009) • Booth and Harrington (2003, p29) ‘an extended piece of individual academic research is what characterises an honours degree’ • Distinguishes between research projects that are staff or student led and research that explores and / or acquires existing knowledge or research that builds knowledge

5. Method • Online Surveys and Telephone Interviews • Students and Supervisors (British Psychology Departments) • Students: Online,n = 108, 88.9% female , 94.4% full time. Interview,n = 10 • Supervisors: Online,n = 62, 57.4% female. Interview,n = 13 • Preparedness before first supervisory meeting • Student or supervisor led • Skill development • Supervisor role and mentorship • Student membership of research community • Advancement of knowledge • Student satisfaction

6. Survey Results

7. Satisfaction • The extent to which projects advance knowledge and leadership of the project predict student satisfaction (F(2, 106) = 10.85, p<.01). • 17% of the variance in student satisfaction accounted for by the model. • Advancement of knowledge (β= .22, t = 2.43, p<.05) • Leadership of the project (β= .29, t = 3.16, p<.05) • Authoring and identifying project types the most and least satisfying respectively

8. Interviews • “There’s no other way of getting experience of trying to recruit the public...” • “…I’ve passed exams without any problems, but if you were to talk to me about the exam I sat 6 months ago – allegedly I am a specialist because I’ve passed it, but I couldn’t tell you anything about it…” • “I didn’t enjoy writing reports and things in the first and second years but now I really do enjoy it. You don’t mind putting the hours in if it’s an area you are interested in.” “It’s opened me up…” • “I wouldn’t have thought about research before but I have been considering research assistant posts and that sort of thing now”

9. Conclusions • Important differences between student and supervisor perceptions of undergraduate research • Students were more likely to report • enhances knowledge • prepared for the research project • project leadership • activities part of the supervisor role • supervisor should act as a mentor • Students were less likely to report • part of the (departmental or psychological) research community • project enhanced skill development • Students were more satisfied if they believed that their project was student (as opposed to supervisor) led and advanced knowledge in the subject area

10. Acknowledgements • Higher Education Academy • Student and Supervisor Participants • Research Interns • Anne Dewhurst • Dawn Doran