Partnering students in practical research

Abstract

While G08 universities are marketed as research intensive, there has been little opportunity for Bachelor of Social Science students enrolled at the University of Adelaide to receive dedicated research training. Social Research Advanced (SRA) was designed for students to experience and practice the various stages in the research process from design, literature review, ethics, field work, and finally, the writing of the research report. Student response to driving their own research was that it provided a more dynamic, practical and ‘hands on’ approach to understanding and ‘doing’ social research. This “learning by exuberance” (Nygaard, Højl & Hermansen, 2008) finding resonates with other academics from different disciplinary backgrounds who have included student research projects in their teaching (Frishman, 2001; Hequet, 2010; Bernard, 2011). This paper has three aims. Firstly, to offer background on how the course was conceived as both important training for postgraduate study as well as job-ready skills for graduate employment. Secondly, the paper aims to provide the rationale for and design of SRA, particularly with regard to pedagogical considerations in terms of moving students through an initial state of anxiety to a position where they took ownership of their research. The third aim is to review student responses to the course, which show that while overall student feedback was positive, changes are also required to reduce anxiety and give students more in-class opportunities to practice skills in advance of doing assignments.