research definition students

Research Basics

• What Is Research?
• Types of Research
• Secondary Research | Literature Review
• Developing Your Topic
• Primary vs. Secondary Sources
• Evaluating Sources
• Responsible Conduct of Research
• Additional Help

A good working definition of research might be:

Research is the deliberate, purposeful, and systematic gathering of data, information, facts, and/or opinions for the advancement of personal, societal, or overall human knowledge.

Based on this definition, we all do research all the time. Most of this research is casual research. Asking friends what they think of different restaurants, looking up reviews of various products online, learning more about celebrities; these are all research.

Formal research includes the type of research most people think of when they hear the term “research”: scientists in white coats working in a fully equipped laboratory. But formal research is a much broader category that just this. Most people will never do laboratory research after graduating from college, but almost everybody will have to do some sort of formal research at some point in their careers.

So What Do We Mean By “Formal Research?”

Casual research is inward facing: it’s done to satisfy our own curiosity or meet our own needs, whether that’s choosing a reliable car or figuring out what to watch on TV. Formal research is outward facing. While it may satisfy our own curiosity, it’s primarily intended to be shared in order to achieve some purpose. That purpose could be anything: finding a cure for cancer, securing funding for a new business, improving some process at your workplace, proving the latest theory in quantum physics, or even just getting a good grade in your Humanities 200 class.

What sets formal research apart from casual research is the documentation of where you gathered your information from. This is done in the form of “citations” and “bibliographies.” Citing sources is covered in the section "Citing Your Sources."

Formal research also follows certain common patterns depending on what the research is trying to show or prove. These are covered in the section “Types of Research.”

• Next: Types of Research >>
• Last Updated: Dec 21, 2023 3:49 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.iit.edu/research_basics

Read our research on: TikTok | Podcasts | Election 2024

Regions & Countries

Part iii: the changing definition of “research”.

Beyond simply shaping research habits and practices, this population of middle and high school teachers suggests that the very definition of what “research” is has changed considerably in the digital world, and that change is reflected in how their students approach the task.  The growing use and popularity of search engines among all segments of the population as a critical tool for finding information is reflected in today’s middle and high school students, who have not known a world without these tools.  As a result, their very conception of “research” may be fundamentally different from prior generations.

“Research = Googling”

According to the teachers in this study, perhaps the most fundamental impact of the internet and digital tools on how students conduct research is how today’s digital environment is changing the very definition of what “research” is and what it means to “do research.”  Ultimately, some teachers say, for students today, “research = Googling.”  Specifically asked how their students would define the term “research,” most teachers felt that students would define the process as independently gathering information by “looking it up” or “Googling.”  And when asked how middle and high school students today “do research,” the first response in every focus group, teachers and students, was “Google.”

In focus group discussions, teachers framed prior generations’ research practices as a time-consuming process that involved formulating a clear research question and then seeking out relevant and accurate information from trusted sources (mainly libraries), often with the aid of an expert (such as a reference librarian).  In contrast, many suggest that today’s students define and approach the process of “doing research” very differently.  What was once a slow process that ideally included intellectual curiosity and discovery is becoming a faster-paced, short-term exercise aimed at locating just enough information to complete an assignment.  Teachers noted that this trend is driven not only by the immediacy and ease of the online search process, but also the time constraints today’s students face in their lives more generally.

The survey reveals search engines top the list of resources students use

Teachers’ perceptions that their students use only a handful of resources and rely mainly on search engines for their research are echoed in survey results.  Asked how likely their students were to use a variety of different information sources for a typical research assignment, 94% of the teachers participating in the survey said their students were “ very likely”  to use Google or other online search engines, placing it well ahead of the other sources asked about.  Second to search engines was the use of Wikipedia or other online encyclopedias, which 75% of teachers said their students were  “very likely”  to use in a typical research assignment.  And rounding out the top three was YouTube or other social media sites, which about half of teachers (52%) said their students were  “very likely”  to use.

Virtually all subgroups of this sample of AP and NWP teachers reported similar levels of student use of search engines.  The only exception to this pattern was among teachers of the lowest income students (those living below the poverty line); this group was slightly less inclined (at 90%) to say their students are “very likely” to use search engines in a typical research assignment. This group was also among the least likely to report their students are “very likely” to use Wikipedia and other online encyclopedias (68% compared with 75% of the total sample).  In contrast, 80% of teachers whose students are described as mostly upper and upper middle income say their students are “very likely” to use sites like Wikipedia.

The use of online encyclopedias as research tools also varied slightly by subject taught, with English teachers at the low end (69%) and science teachers at the high end (82%) of the range of those saying their students are “very likely” to use this source.  English teachers are also the least likely to describe their students as “very likely” to use YouTube and other social media sites in a typical research assignment, with 44% reporting this level of use.  The figure for the sample of teachers as a whole is slightly higher at 52%.

More “traditional” sources of information, such as textbooks, print books, online databases, and research librarians ranked well below these newly emerging technologies. Fewer than one in five teachers said their students are “very likely” to use any of these sources in typical research assignments.  In the case of online databases and printed books, half or more of the teachers who participated in the survey said their students are “not too likely” or “not at all likely” to use these sources.  In fact, fewer teachers said their students are likely to use these sources than to use their peers, study guides such as SparkNotes or CliffNotes, or the websites of major news organizations.

When it comes to the use of print books, the findings across all subgroups in this sample of teachers are surprisingly consistent. Teachers of the poorest students—those living below the poverty line—stand out slightly in that they most commonly say their students are “very likely” to use print books in their research assignments (19% say this). Also among the teacher subgroups particularly likely to say their students are “very likely” to use print books in research assignments are middle school teachers (19%) when compared with 9 th -10 th  grade teachers (12%) and 11 th -12 th  grade teachers (11%). At the other end of the range, science (7%) and math (9%) teachers are particularly  un likely to say print books are a common source for their students.

Among the subgroups of this sample who are most inclined to say their students are “very likely” to use research librarians as a source are English teachers (20%) and teachers ages 55 and older (22%).  But again, these figures are only slightly higher than the 16% of all teachers who say this is the case.

In focus groups, teachers noted that students prefer the internet because they find it a more interesting and entertaining platform.  While the internet is a “cool” place to do research, other more traditional sources are perceived as “boring” by students.  The internet offers multi-media content, links to additional information, interactive formats, and textbooks and other print books pale in comparison.

Traditional Textbooks are one-dimensional. They aren’t interactive. They don’t let me go somewhere else if I want more information. There’s no sound, no movies, no hyperlinks. Students are accustomed to interacting with text. I think that’s why textbooks on the iPad have been successful.  – National Writing Project teacher

Last week, I gave my students twenty questions posed by the guys at Flocabulary in conjunction with the Wikipedia Blackout in Response to SOPA. The questions ranged from What is the State Bird of Arkansas” to “Who won Super Bowl X?” to “Who won the Republican primary last week?” Since the students could not use Wikipedia, it was interesting to see what they went to next: Ask.com, About.com. Dogpile.com, Google.com, Answers.com, and a host of other sites like these that are a part of my students’ collective toolbox when it comes to securing sources from the web. But when they were answering the one regarding the Super Bowl, none of the students in the six classes I teach ever thought to consult The National Football League. Further, when a question was posed about the first Starbucks, none of my students thought to ask anyone else in the room for their residential expertise.  – National Writing Project teacher

Teaching students to do effective searches like SweetSearch.com helps them to understand that a discourse community does exist in regard to their selected subject and these parties often—well always—offer readily citable information wherein their traditional tried and true searches do not.  – National Writing Project teacher

Teens are not alone in their reliance on search engines

The trend among teens to equate finding information with “Googling” mirrors trends seen in adults over the past decade.  Over time, Pew Internet’s surveys of adults have consistently shown that search engine use tops the list of most popular online activities, along with email.  Currently, 91% of online adults use search engines to find information on the web, up from 84% in June 2004. On any given day online, 59% of those using the internet use search engines. In 2004 that figure stood at just 30% of internet users. 9 Moreover, among adult search users, Google is far and away the most used search engine with Yahoo placing a distant second, and its dominance is growing over time.

Not only are adults increasingly reliant on search engines as an information resource, but they also report generally trusting the results they get and feeling the quality and relevance of the information provided by search engines is improving over time. 10  Specifically:

• 91% of adult search engine users say they always or most of the time find the information they are seeking when they use search engines
• 73% of adult search engine users say that most or all of the information they find using search engines is accurate and trustworthy
• 66% of adult search engine users say search engines are a fair and unbiased source of information
• 55% of adult search engine users say that, in their experience, the quality of search results is getting better over time, while just 4% say it has gotten worse
• 52% of adult search engine users say search engine results have gotten more relevant and useful over time, while just 7% report that results have gotten less relevant
• 56% of adult search engine users say they are very confident in their search abilities, while only 6% say they are not too or not at all confident
• 86% of adult search engine users report that they have learned something new or important using a search engine that really helped them or increased their knowledge
• 50% of adult search engine users say they have found an obscure fact using a search engine that they thought they would not be able to find

In contrast, fewer adult search users report experiencing negative outcomes:

• 41% report getting conflicting information in search results and being unable to determine which information is correct
• 38% say they sometimes feel overwhelmed by the amount of information found using a search engine
• 34% feel that critical information is sometimes missing from search results

The teachers surveyed are likewise heavy search engine users, and are very confident in their searching abilities

The teachers in our sample are likewise part of the “Googling” trend.  Asked about their own use of different online tools, 100% of the teachers participating in the survey said they use online search engines to find information online, with 90% naming Google as the search engine they use most often.

Overall, compared with all U.S. adults, this population of teachers is more confident in their own search abilities.  Almost three-quarters (73%) of these middle and high school teachers say they are “very confident” in their own search abilities, with another 26% saying they are “somewhat confident.”  Of the more than 2,000 teachers surveyed, only 1% describe themselves as “not too confident” when it comes to using search engines.

While this sample of AP and NWP teachers has greater confidence than adults as a whole in their search abilities, they have considerably less faith in the accuracy of the information they find using these tools.  Just 5% of teachers participating in the survey say that “all or almost all” of the information they find using search engines is accurate or trustworthy, compared with 28% of all U.S. adult search users.

The AP and NWP teachers surveyed here are also very different from adults as a whole in that the youngest teachers have less faith in the accuracy of search results.  Among the general population, younger adults tend to have more faith in the trustworthiness and accuracy of the search results they get. Yet teachers mirror the general adult population in that younger teachers have more confidence in their search abilities than their older counterparts:

• 50%  of teachers ages 22-34 say that all or most of the information they find using search engines is accurate or trustworthy, compared with  61%  of teachers ages 35-54 and  68%  of teachers age 55 and older.
• Meanwhile,  80%  of the youngest teachers say they are “very confident” in their search abilities, compared with  75%  of 35-54 year-old teachers and  63%  of teachers ages 55 and older. 

• See “Search and Email Still Top the List of Most Popular Online Activities,” available at  https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/Reports/2011/Search-and-email.aspx . ↩
• “Search Engine Use 2012,” available at  https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/Press-Releases/2012/Search-Engine-Use-2012.aspx . ↩

Sign up for our Internet, Science and Tech newsletter

New findings, delivered monthly

Report Materials

Table of contents, most u.s. teens who use cellphones do it to pass time, connect with others, learn new things, how parents feel about – and manage – their teens’ online behavior and screen time, teens who are constantly online are just as likely to socialize with their friends offline, teens’ social media habits and experiences, how teens and parents navigate screen time and device distractions, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

Table of Contents

Collaboration, information literacy, writing process.

• © 2023 by Joseph M. Moxley - University of South Florida

Research refers to a systematic investigation carried out to discover new knowledge , expand existing knowledge , solve practical problems , and develop new products, apps, and services. This article explores why different research communities have different ideas about what research is and how to conduct it. Learn about the different epistemological assumptions that undergird  informal , qualitative , quantitative , textual , and mixed research methods .

What is Research?

Research may refer to

• For most researchers, the first step in any research project involves strategic searching to learn what the current and best research, theory, and scholarship is on a topic .
• scholars create knowledge by engaging in textual research , interpretation , and hermeneutics .
• Ethnography
• Participant Observation
• Survey Research
• “a systematic application of knowledge toward the production of useful materials, devices, and systems or methods, including design, development, and improvement of prototypes and new processes” (NSF n.d.)
• a process,  a research methodology , that follows  the principles of lean design .

Key Words: Research Community ; Research Methodology ; Research Methods ; Epistemology

Why Does Research Matter?

Overall, research is essential for advancing knowledge, solving problems, informing decision-making, fostering innovation, and promoting critical thinking. It plays a crucial role in shaping the world we live in and the future we create.

• Research allows us to better understand the world around us, from the fundamental workings of the universe to the intricacies of human behavior. By conducting research, scholars can uncover new information, develop new theories and models, and identify gaps in existing knowledge that need to be filled. This knowledge can help students and teachers to better understand the world around them and develop new solutions to the problems facing society.
• Research helps us identify and solve problems. It can help us find ways to improve our health, protect the environment, reduce poverty, and develop new technologies.
• Research provides important information that can inform policy decisions, business strategies, and individual choices. By studying trends, analyzing data, and conducting experiments, researchers can help us make better-informed decisions.
• Research often leads to new technologies, products, and services. By pushing the boundaries of what is currently possible, researchers can inspire and fuel innovation.
• Research teaches us to question assumptions, evaluate evidence, and think critically. These skills are important for students to develop because they enable them to become more informed and engaged citizens, able to make more informed decisions and contribute to society in meaningful ways.
• Research experience can be an asset in many career fields, including academia, business, government, and nonprofit organizations. By conducting research as an undergraduate student, students can develop valuable skills and experience that can help them to succeed in their future careers.

Types of Research

The choice of research methods depends on the epistemological assumptions of the researchers and the practices of a particular methodological community , the research question , the type of data needed, and the resources available.

Epistemology and Research Communities

Investigators across academic disciplines — the humanities, social sciences, sciences, and the arts — share some common methods and values. For instance, in both workplace writing and academic writing , investigators are careful

• to cite sources , particularly sources that have changed the conversation on a topic
• to provide evidence for claims (as opposed to opinion or other forms of anecdotal knowledge .

Yet it is also important to note that different research communities also develop unique approaches to exploring and solving problems in their knowledge domains. Research communities develop different ways of conducting research because they face different problems and because they may have different epistemological assumptions about what knowledge is and how to measure it. For example, if a researcher believes that knowledge can only be gained through observation and empirical evidence , they may choose to use quantitative research methods such as experiments or surveys . Conversely, if a researcher believes that knowledge can also be gained through subjective experience and interpretation , they may choose to use qualitative research methods such as case study , ethnography or participant observation

While there are many nuanced definitions of epistemology , scholars have identified three major epistemological perspectives that inform the works of three research communities

• The Scholars – aka Scholarship
• The Positivists – aka Positivism
• The Postpositivists – aka Postpositivism

Research & Mindset

Researchers are curious about the world. They embrace openness , a growth mindset , and collaboration . They undertake research projects in order to review existing knowledge and generate original knowledge claims about the topic , thesis, research question they are investigating. Research finds evidence.

Research Ethics

Researchers and consumers of research are wise to view research claims and research plans from an ethical perspective. Given human nature — such as the tendency to look for confirming evidence and ignore disconfirming evidence and to allow emotions to cloud reasoning — it’s foolhardy to disregard critical literacy practices when consuming the research of others.

Ethics are important to undergraduate students as researchers because ethics provide a framework for conducting research that is responsible, respectful, and accountable :

• Ethics ensure that participants in research are treated with respect and dignity, and that their rights and well-being are protected. As a student researcher, it is important to obtain informed consent from participants, ensure their confidentiality, and minimize any potential harm or discomfort.
• Ethics ensure that research is conducted with integrity and honesty. This means that data is collected and analyzed accurately, and that findings are reported truthfully and transparently.
• Ethics help to build trust between researchers and the public. When research is conducted ethically, participants and the wider community are more likely to trust the findings and the researchers themselves.
• Adhering to ethical standards in research can help students to develop important professional skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication . These skills can be useful in a wide range of career fields, including academia, healthcare, and government.
• Ethical research is a professional obligation. By conducting research ethically, students are fulfilling their obligations to the wider research community.

Research as an Iterative, Recursive, Chaotic Process

Research is commonly depicted on websites and textbooks on research methods as systematic work (see, e.g., Wikipedia’s Research page).

Depicting research as systematic work is certainly valid, especially in natural and social science research. For instance, scientists in the lab working with a virus like COVID-19 or Ebola aren’t going to play around. Their professionalism and safety is tied to rigorously following research protocols.

That said, it’s an oversimplification to suggest research processes are invariably systematic. Discoveries have emerged from basic research that have been wildly popular and useful real-world applications . (See, for example, 24 Unintended Scientific Discoveries — the video below). Scientists may begin researching hypothesis A but rewrite that hypothesis multiple times until they find hypothesis Z — something that explains the data. Then they go back and repackage their investigation, following ethical standards, for a wider audience.

Ultimately, because research is such an iterative process, the thesis or hypothesis a researcher began with may not be the one the researcher ends up with. The takeaway here is that research is a learning process. Research efforts can lead to unpredictable applications and insights. Research finds evidence. Ultimately, research is about curiosity and openness. The question that initiates a research effort may morph into other questions as researchers

• dig deeper into the literature on the topic and become more conversant
• endeavor to make sense of the data/information they have gathered during the conduct of the study.

Related Concepts

Research methods.

Research results— knowledge claims -—are important. But, how researchers claim to know what they know—their research methods and research methodology —are equally important.

During the early stages of a writing project, you can identify research questions worth asking by engaging in Information Literacy practices.

Using Evidence

Learn to summarize,  paraphrase , and  cite sources . Weave others’ ideas and words into your texts in ways that support your  thesis/research question ,  information ,  rhetorical stance .

Hale, J. (2018). Understanding research methodology 5: Applied and basic research, PsychCentral . https://psychcentral.com/blog/understanding-research-methodology-5-applied-and-basic-research/

Related Articles:

Applied Research, Basic Research

Research Methodology

Scholarship

Suggested edits.

• Please select the purpose of your message. * - Corrections, Typos, or Edits Technical Support/Problems using the site Advertising with Writing Commons Copyright Issues I am contacting you about something else
• Your full name
• Your email address *
• Page URL needing edits *
• Phone This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

• Joseph M. Moxley

Understand the difference between Applied Research and Basic Research.

As an investigator be sure to protect your research subjects and follow ethical standards. As a consumer of research, be mindful of when investigators may be exaggerating results, making claims...

Not all research methods are equal or produce the same kind of knowledge. Learn about the philosophies, the epistemologies, that inform qualitative, quantitative, mixed, and textual research methods.

Understand how to identify appropriate research methods for particular methodological communities, rhetorical situations, and research questions.

Scholarship is not just about memorizing facts or regurgitating information. It’s about developing a deep understanding of a subject, making connections across disciplines, and contributing to the ongoing conversation about...

Featured Articles

Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

Professional Writing – How to Write for the Professional World

Authority – How to Establish Credibility in Speech & Writing

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer
• QuestionPro

• Solutions Industries Gaming Automotive Sports and events Education Government Travel & Hospitality Financial Services Healthcare Cannabis Technology Use Case NPS+ Communities Audience Contactless surveys Mobile LivePolls Member Experience GDPR Positive People Science 360 Feedback Surveys
• Resources Blog eBooks Survey Templates Case Studies Training Help center

Home Market Research

What is Research: Definition, Methods, Types & Examples

The search for knowledge is closely linked to the object of study; that is, to the reconstruction of the facts that will provide an explanation to an observed event and that at first sight can be considered as a problem. It is very human to seek answers and satisfy our curiosity. Let’s talk about research.

Content Index

What is Research?

What are the characteristics of research.

• Comparative analysis chart

Qualitative methods

Quantitative methods, 8 tips for conducting accurate research.

Research is the careful consideration of study regarding a particular concern or research problem using scientific methods. According to the American sociologist Earl Robert Babbie, “research is a systematic inquiry to describe, explain, predict, and control the observed phenomenon. It involves inductive and deductive methods.”

Inductive methods analyze an observed event, while deductive methods verify the observed event. Inductive approaches are associated with qualitative research , and deductive methods are more commonly associated with quantitative analysis .

Research is conducted with a purpose to:

• Identify potential and new customers
• Understand existing customers
• Set pragmatic goals
• Develop productive market strategies
• Address business challenges
• Put together a business expansion plan
• Identify new business opportunities
• Good research follows a systematic approach to capture accurate data. Researchers need to practice ethics and a code of conduct while making observations or drawing conclusions.
• The analysis is based on logical reasoning and involves both inductive and deductive methods.
• Real-time data and knowledge is derived from actual observations in natural settings.
• There is an in-depth analysis of all data collected so that there are no anomalies associated with it.
• It creates a path for generating new questions. Existing data helps create more research opportunities.
• It is analytical and uses all the available data so that there is no ambiguity in inference.
• Accuracy is one of the most critical aspects of research. The information must be accurate and correct. For example, laboratories provide a controlled environment to collect data. Accuracy is measured in the instruments used, the calibrations of instruments or tools, and the experiment’s final result.

What is the purpose of research?

There are three main purposes:

• Exploratory: As the name suggests, researchers conduct exploratory studies to explore a group of questions. The answers and analytics may not offer a conclusion to the perceived problem. It is undertaken to handle new problem areas that haven’t been explored before. This exploratory data analysis process lays the foundation for more conclusive data collection and analysis.

LEARN ABOUT: Descriptive Analysis

• Descriptive: It focuses on expanding knowledge on current issues through a process of data collection. Descriptive research describe the behavior of a sample population. Only one variable is required to conduct the study. The three primary purposes of descriptive studies are describing, explaining, and validating the findings. For example, a study conducted to know if top-level management leaders in the 21st century possess the moral right to receive a considerable sum of money from the company profit.

LEARN ABOUT: Best Data Collection Tools

• Explanatory: Causal research or explanatory research is conducted to understand the impact of specific changes in existing standard procedures. Running experiments is the most popular form. For example, a study that is conducted to understand the effect of rebranding on customer loyalty.

Here is a comparative analysis chart for a better understanding:

It begins by asking the right questions and choosing an appropriate method to investigate the problem. After collecting answers to your questions, you can analyze the findings or observations to draw reasonable conclusions.

When it comes to customers and market studies, the more thorough your questions, the better the analysis. You get essential insights into brand perception and product needs by thoroughly collecting customer data through surveys and questionnaires . You can use this data to make smart decisions about your marketing strategies to position your business effectively.

To make sense of your study and get insights faster, it helps to use a research repository as a single source of truth in your organization and manage your research data in one centralized data repository .

Types of research methods and Examples

Research methods are broadly classified as Qualitative and Quantitative .

Both methods have distinctive properties and data collection methods.

Qualitative research is a method that collects data using conversational methods, usually open-ended questions . The responses collected are essentially non-numerical. This method helps a researcher understand what participants think and why they think in a particular way.

Types of qualitative methods include:

• One-to-one Interview
• Focus Groups
• Ethnographic studies
• Text Analysis

Quantitative methods deal with numbers and measurable forms . It uses a systematic way of investigating events or data. It answers questions to justify relationships with measurable variables to either explain, predict, or control a phenomenon.

Types of quantitative methods include:

• Survey research
• Descriptive research
• Correlational research

LEARN MORE: Descriptive Research vs Correlational Research

Remember, it is only valuable and useful when it is valid, accurate, and reliable. Incorrect results can lead to customer churn and a decrease in sales.

It is essential to ensure that your data is:

• Valid – founded, logical, rigorous, and impartial.
• Accurate – free of errors and including required details.
• Reliable – other people who investigate in the same way can produce similar results.
• Timely – current and collected within an appropriate time frame.
• Complete – includes all the data you need to support your business decisions.

Gather insights

• Identify the main trends and issues, opportunities, and problems you observe. Write a sentence describing each one.
• Keep track of the frequency with which each of the main findings appears.
• Make a list of your findings from the most common to the least common.
• Evaluate a list of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identified in a SWOT analysis .
• Prepare conclusions and recommendations about your study.
• Act on your strategies
• Look for gaps in the information, and consider doing additional inquiry if necessary
• Plan to review the results and consider efficient methods to analyze and interpret results.

Review your goals before making any conclusions about your study. Remember how the process you have completed and the data you have gathered help answer your questions. Ask yourself if what your analysis revealed facilitates the identification of your conclusions and recommendations.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SOFTWARE         FREE TRIAL

MORE LIKE THIS

Top 13 Anonymous Employee Feedback Tools for 2024

Mar 25, 2024

Unlocking Creativity With 10 Top Idea Management Software

Mar 23, 2024

20 Best Website Optimization Tools to Improve Your Website

Mar 22, 2024

15 Best Digital Customer Experience Software of 2024

Other categories.

• Academic Research
• Artificial Intelligence
• Assessments
• Brand Awareness
• Case Studies
• Communities
• Consumer Insights
• Customer effort score
• Customer Engagement
• Customer Experience
• Customer Loyalty
• Customer Research
• Customer Satisfaction
• Employee Benefits
• Employee Engagement
• Employee Retention
• Friday Five
• General Data Protection Regulation
• Insights Hub
• Life@QuestionPro
• Market Research
• Mobile diaries
• Mobile Surveys
• New Features
• Online Communities
• Question Types
• Questionnaire
• QuestionPro Products
• Release Notes
• Research Tools and Apps
• Revenue at Risk
• Survey Templates
• Training Tips
• Uncategorized
• Video Learning Series
• What’s Coming Up
• Workforce Intelligence

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of research in English

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

• He has dedicated his life to scientific research.
• He emphasized that all the people taking part in the research were volunteers .
• The state of Michigan has endowed three institutes to do research for industry .
• I'd like to see the research that these recommendations are founded on.
• It took months of painstaking research to write the book .
• absorptive capacity
• dream something up
• modularization
• nanotechnology
• non-imitative
• operational research
• think outside the box idiom
• think something up
• uninventive
• study What do you plan on studying at university?
• major US She majored in philosophy at Harvard.
• cram She's cramming for her history exam.
• revise UK I'm revising for tomorrow's test.
• review US We're going to review for the test tomorrow night.
• research Scientists are researching possible new treatments for cancer.
• The amount of time and money being spent on researching this disease is pitiful .
• We are researching the reproduction of elephants .
• She researched a wide variety of jobs before deciding on law .
• He researches heart disease .
• The internet has reduced the amount of time it takes to research these subjects .
• adjudication
• interpretable
• interpretive
• interpretively
• investigate
• reinvestigate
• reinvestigation
• risk assessment
• run over/through something
• run through something

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Related word

Research | american dictionary, research | business english, examples of research, collocations with research.

These are words often used in combination with research .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of research

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

something dangerous or serious, such as an accident, that happens suddenly or unexpectedly and needs fast action in order to avoid harmful results

Paying attention and listening intently: talking about concentration

Learn more with +Plus

• Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
• Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
• Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
• Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
• English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
• English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
• English–Dutch Dutch–English
• English–French French–English
• English–German German–English
• English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
• English–Italian Italian–English
• English–Japanese Japanese–English
• English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
• English–Polish Polish–English
• English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
• English–Spanish Spanish–English
• English–Swedish Swedish–English
• Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
• English    Noun Verb
• Business    Noun Verb
• Collocations
• Translations
• All translations

Add research to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• Int J Med Educ

How do students' perceptions of research and approaches to learning change in undergraduate research?

Rintaro imafuku.

1 Medical Education Development Center, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan

Takuya Saiki

Chihiro kawakami, yasuyuki suzuki.

This study aimed to examine how students' perceptions of research and learning change through participation in undergraduate research and to identify the factors that affect the process of their engagement in re-search projects.

This qualitative study has drawn on phenomenography as research methodology to explore third-year medical students' experiences of undergraduate research from participants' perspectives (n=14). Data included semi-structured individual interviews conducted as pre and post reflections. Thematic analysis of pre-course interviews combined with researcher-participant observations in-formed design of end-of-course interview questions.

Phenomenographic data analysis demonstrated qualitative changes in students' perceptions of research. At the beginning of the course, the majority of students ex-pressed a relatively narrow definition of research, focusing on the content and outcomes of scientific research. End-of-course reflections indicated increased attention to research processes including researcher autonomy, collaboration and knowledge construction processes. Furthermore, acknowledgement of the linkage between research and learning processes indicated an epistemological change leading them to take a deep approach to learning in undergraduate research. Themes included: an inquiring mind, synthesis of knowledge, active participation, collaborative and reflective learning. However, they also encountered some difficulties in undertaking group research projects. These were attributed to their prior learning experiences, differences in valuing towards interpersonal communication, understanding of the research process, and social relationships with others.

Conclusions

This study provided insights into the potential for undergraduate research in medical education. Medical students' awareness of the linkage between research and learning may be one of the most important outcomes in the undergraduate research process.

Introduction

Research activity is considered one of the high-impact educational practices in that the vital skills and attitude for lifelong learners can be cultivated through inquiry. 1 - 3 Undergraduate research was defined as any teaching and learning activity in which undergraduate students are actively engaged with the research content, process or problems of their discipline. 4 That is, research is not merely pursuit of academic career and advancement of knowledge (i.e., content). Rather, it also includes an aspect of learning process. 5 - 7 Development of research skills is also important in health professions education. 8 , 9

Research activities by undergraduates are a powerful way of enhancing medical students' basic skills and attitude necessary for future professional practice. Inquiry and an evidence-based medicine (EBM) approach are complimentary processes in that they include recognition of important questions, search for the best research evidence, critical appraisal of the evidence, and application of the evidence to practice. 10 - 12 Modern clinicians, therefore, have to understand both the principles of research and how evidence is derived. 13

Integration of EBM elements into the undergraduate medical curriculum now has increasing significance. For instance, in the first edition of Tomorrow's Doctors issued in 1993, the General Medical Council (GMC) urged innovation in UK undergraduate medical curricula in order to reduce direct instruction of factual content and provide more inquiry-based, student-centred learning environments. 8 One radical change was the introduction of extensive student choice of study modules, which is currently termed 'student selected components' (SSCs). Basically, these curricula provide medical students with opportunities to select study areas of interest and to pursue what they want to know through inquiry. This can potentially be pedagogically effective vehicles for critical appraisal and research skill development. 13 , 14 Likewise, in Japan, 63 out of 80 medical schools have implemented a research-based course in the undergraduate curriculum. 15 Although the duration, study area and assessment method are different among the schools, the common educational purpose is to provide opportunities leading to the development of research skills and basic skills necessary to continuing professional development.

Although research activity as an educational practice has been increasingly employed in a variety of disciplines as well as in diverse cultural contexts, students might take different preferred approaches to learning across cultures. 16 - 19 For instance, Asian students have been portrayed as typically passive, uncritical and rote learners. Asian students' strong perceptions of teachers as knowledge providers are considered one of the influential factors that affect their passive participation in a classroom. 16 On the other hand, there is a paradox between such a description of Asian learners and their academic attainment. 17 - 19 Marton and Dall'Alba indicated the qualitatively different ways of experiencing learning in different cultural contexts. 19 Given the variation in ways individuals experience various phenomena, it is important to understand how Asian learners participate in a student-centred learning environment. As students need to undertake a collective research project in this study, mutual engagement is essential to the process of undergraduate research.

While there is a plethora of discussions on learning outcomes in undergraduate research based on the findings underpinned by a quantitative research paradigm, few studies have examined epistemological changes in research and learning through qualitative analysis of students' research activity. 13 Therefore, this study was undertaken as an initial investigation into this area. A better understanding of students' research experiences from an emic viewpoint allows educators to clearly identify why and how research activity promotes meaningful learning. Furthermore, identifying factors that affect students' research activity can provide important practical implications to effectively encourage and facilitate research opportunities for students. In order to make contribution to this gap in the literature, this study aimed to investigate 1) how students' perceptions of research and learning change through participation in undergraduate research; and 2) what factors affect the process of their engagement in undergraduate research.

Research approach

Qualitative research methods were used for this study, which was particularly underpinned by phenomenography. The rationale of drawing on phenomenography in this study is that the changes in people's ways of interpreting the nature of research generally take place through their own experience of research and interaction with others. 20 Phenomenography allows an examination of "the ways in which people experience, conceptualise, perceive, and understand a phenomenon from their own perspectives." 21 Investigations with a phenomenographic orientation thus focus more on exploration of what is experienced and howit is experienced (i.e., "second-order perspective") than description of the world itself (i.e., "first-order perspective"). 17 , 20 , 21 Within this setting, students' learning processes in undergraduate research are not analysed in terms of what students learned or remembered but rather attends to the relationship between students and the phenomenon. In particular, we briefly describe how phenomenography interprets a relationship between students' approaches to learning.

Phenomenography enables a mapping of the qualitatively different approaches to learning that students adopt. Students' approaches to learning are not regarded as the personality traits or fixed learning styles, but determined through interaction of a student with a specific learning context. 22 Phenomenographers have identified three main types of approaches to learning: deep, surface and strategic approaches. 22 - 24 A deep approach to learning involves relating new ideas to previous knowledge and examining the logic of the argument critically, and leads to understanding and long-term retention of concepts. Thus, learners who take a deep approach to learning primarily focus on seeking meaning. In contrast, a surface approach to learning is associated with information reproducing. For instance, students who take a surface approach to learning try to make use of rote learning, memorize information needed for assessment, take a narrow view and concentrate on detail. A strategic approach to learning is taken to obtain high grades and other rewards. The learning strategies of this approach include identifying the assessment criteria and estimating the learning effort, following up all suggested readings, and using previous exam paper to predict questions. Although deep and surface approaches are mutually exclusive, a strategic approach can be linked to either, that is, surface-strategic or deep-strategic approach. These three pre-identified categories were examined simultaneously with the more inductive labelling process.

Research site

Generally, Japanese medical schools have a 6-year undergraduate curriculum which consists of general education (the first year), pre-clinical studies (the middle 2.5-3 years), and clinical clerkships and preparation for national board examinations (the last 2 years). Sixty out of 80 Japanese medical schools implement a research-based course in the pre-clinical study periods. 15

The context of this study was Gifu University School of Medicine. There was a mandatory course of "Research Experience" in which all third-year students (n=106) selected a 10-week subject or two 5-week subjects from 23 research themes of basic, social or clinical medical sciences, such as anatomy, legal medicine and paediatrics, and then pursued a research topic of interest. It predominantly involved project work, and there were no other classes during the 'research' weeks to detract from their learning experiences through inquiry. As a summative assessment, they were required to give poster and oral group presentations in front of all third-year students and faculty in the final week.

Medical education research was a 5-week course in 2013, and was altered to a 10-week course in 2014. Class meetings (2-3 hours) were basically scheduled three days a week, and the rest of class time in a week (21 hours) was allotted to self-directed research activity. In every class, students were encouraged to discuss research design and to give a progress report. Academic staff in medical education centre participated as mentors who encourage students to undertake a research project as autonomously as possible.

Participants

A purposive sampling was adopted, and 14 third-year medical students (9 male, 5 female: S1-S14) who selected medical education research in 2013 or 2014 agreed to participate in this study. They conducted medical education research projects about medical students' perceptions of career choices, learning experiences in PBL tutorials, or gender differences in perceptions of career and family among students. S1 has had some research experience as a student research assistant and S8 holds a Master's degree in psychology. However, the rest of participants has little experience in conducting research.

In order to achieve the consistency of research context, we carried out data collection only in the medical education centre, because the course structure varied according to the research field, such as the role of tutor and duration/frequency of class meeting. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Gifu University.

Data collection

This qualitative study drew upon methods of direct observation and semi-structured interviews. Observations allow for insight into contexts, relationships and behaviour by better understanding what participants do. The first author as a participant observer in the two academic years of the study made records to capture the details of students' participation in the course. To deal with observer effect, we did not reveal the specific focus of the observation, but obtained students' consent to observe their learning activities. These observational data were rigorously analysed to gain emic understandings of the context of student research activity and to inform the development of the second (post) interview guide as to more closely situate it to each individual's context.

Each participant was invited to be interviewed twice during the course. The first interview (pre) was conducted in the second week of the course, and the second interview (post) was in the final (fifth or tenth) week of the course. Each interview lasted around 25 to 45 minutes, and was audio-recorded. Japanese transcripts were translated into English by the first author.

In the first interviews, we attempted to elicit information on students' prior experiences, perceptions of research, understanding of student roles and on-going experiences in this programme. Prior research findings in phenomenography have informed the first interview schedule. 22 , 25 In the second, follow-up interviews, we focused on eliciting information on challenges which they found in the process of undertaking a group research project; their approaches to researching; perceived benefits of undergraduate research; and; changes in their perceptions of research and learning. Moreover, we also asked some questions which were informed by the observational data (e.g., I felt you participated more actively than before. Why did your participation pattern change over time? ).

Data analysis procedures

Interview data were qualitatively analysed based on the principles of phenomenography as an empirical approach to describing the qualitatively different means of people's experience. 19 , 21 There are seven common steps of data analysis in phenomenography. 26 The first step is familiarization in which the researchers need to read through transcripts to become familiar with empirical data and obtain a sense of the whole. The second step involves compilation ofanswers from all respondents to a certain question. The most significant elements in the answer need to be identified here. The third step is a condensation of the individual answers to find the central part of longer answers. The fourth step contains a preliminary grouping ,and the researchers allocate answers expressing similar ways of understanding the phenomenon to the same category. The fifth step is a preliminary comparison of categories with regard to similarities and differences. The sixth step consists of labelling to express the core meaning of the category. The seventh step is a contrastive comparison of categories. Comparing the categories through a contrastive procedure, the unique character of the categories and its relationship between them are described.

Following these steps above, the data were carefully reviewed multiple times by the research team, and we inductively generated salient categories. In this process, peer debriefing was used as a technique to establish credibility and validity of the data analysis. That is, the authors worked together on the coding of data to prevent some critical problems of analysis, such as misinterpretation of data and vague descriptions of coding. Member checking was also undertaken to confirm whether researchers' interpretation of interview data was congruent with what participants intended to express.

Changes in perceptions of research

We examined Japanese medical students' reflection on and perceptions of their experiences in undergraduate research. In particular, the focus of the data analysis was on understanding how students' perceptions of research changed through their experiences of conducting research a project and how the change in epistemological belief regarding research relates to students' approaches to learning. The labelling procedures (see below) produced two core categories, 'content-oriented' and 'process-oriented' approaches to study. Contrastive comparison indicated that, of the total number of 14 students, 10 students' perceptions of research (S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S7, S8, S10, S11, and S14) qualitatively changed from 'content-oriented' to 'process-oriented' ones during the undergraduate research course. The remaining four students' perceptions of research (S6, S9, S12, and S13) remained 'content-oriented'. In what follows, we detail the establishment of these categories and the result of contrastive comparison.

Students' perceptions of research in Week 2

As to students' perception of research at the early stage of the programme, three main themes emerged from the first (pre) interview data: irrelevant activity to undergraduates' life, research methods and outcomes ( Table 1 ). In the first interview, the majority of students expressed a relatively narrow definition of research, focusing on the content and outcomes of scientific research.

In response to what students mean by research in the first interview, some students were not clear about what research is due to their less experience of conducting research. They said that research was irrelevant activity to undergraduates' life in that research tended to be regarded as an activity only by people who pursue academic career, such as postgraduate-level and faculty-level:

"I don't feel familiar with research activity because I haven't conducted it. Since I think research is an activity for becoming academics, I'm not really interested in conducting research, and it is irrelevant to medical students, who want to actively take part in clinical practice, not research position, in the future, like me." (S2, Group 1, Week 2, 2013)

In addition, medical students in this study conceived research as experiment, hypothesis testing or lonely activity of scientists. The term "research" tended to give the medical students a certain impression in association with science experiment.

"In my understanding, research is to make a microscopic study in a scientific laboratory all the day. There is no chance to communicate with others. So, I have a negative impression that research is a lonely activity." (S6, Group 2, Week 2, 2013)

"I think that research means verifying hypotheses through repeated same experiments. So, it is conducted so as to reveal the truth logically based on objective data. I feel it boring and time consuming." (S13, Group 3, Week 2, 2014)

Lastly, their perception of research was related to its outcome and output. Students emphasized "an epoch-making discovery" and "advancement of knowledge" as keywords regarding research. They tended to regard research as scientists' activity which presents new perspective of a certain study field and solution to complex problems. That is, at the early stage of the research project course, the majority of participants in this study thought that undergraduates' life was unrelated to research involvement:

"Research is conducted in order to advance knowledge in your academic field, such as medical sciences. I think publication of journal article and conference presentation can be central to research activity." (S10, Group 3, Week 2, 2014)

"For me, research means discovery of what nobody knows or invention of new devices. I haven't conducted research before, so it's just my impression, but I research works would be achieved by the limited great figures, experts, in academic fields." (S12, Group 3, Week 2, 2014)

Students' perceptions of research in final week (tenth or fifth week)

Data analysis of the second (post) interview showed their increased attention to research processes, including autonomy, collaborative working and knowledge construction processes. Furthermore, through participation in research project, they realised that research has something to do with learning process in their own context of studying at the medical school. That is, their perceptions of research were related to experiment, solitude and exhaustive work in Week 2, whereas they could view research as social and cognitive processes of daily activity in the final week. Table 2 provides a summary of their perceptions of research in the final week.

As shown in Table 2 , students recognised the linkage of research and learning through participation in research project. In Week 2, they perceived research and learning as separate activities. Specifically, research was viewed as an irrelevant activity to undergraduates' life and also as an activity which was undertaken only by someone who pursues an academic career. However, they began to relate the process of research to their learning experiences during the course. S2 said:

"Recently, I gradually became aware that the processes of learning might be similar to those of research. Like, it includes investigation of what I want to know, information gathering necessary to the goals, and a study meeting with my friends outside classroom. I think what I did in our research project was exactly congruent to the process of learning." (S2, Group 1, Final week, 2013)

In addition to students' awareness of linkage between learning and research processes, research could be viewed as process of inquiry by them in the final week. Students said that researcher autonomy or inquiring mind is a core concept of research. S11 emphasised the importance of inquiring mind in doing research:

"Research is a process of approaching to the truth, which is driven by your inquiring mind. For example, we researched students' perceptions of career choice as medical doctor and family, umm, sharing housework with partner. People's perceptions vary according to their background, and we couldn't draw one definite conclusion from data. However, I really enjoyed working in this process, and my inquiring mind made me participate more actively in the research project." (S11, Group 3, Final week, 2014)

S2 said that researcher’s autonomy during the research process is important for inquiry. Moreover, he noticed that research could be seen as not a special activity of scientist but a daily activity of people.

"Investigating on your own initiative is pivotal to conducting a research project. So, research is to investigate what I want to know on my initiative. In the first interview, I said I had no idea about research, but now I feel research can include not only scientists' work but also our daily activity of learning." (S2, Group 1, Final week, 2013)

As students in this study were engaged in research work as a group, some participants viewed research from a social, interpersonal perspective. In the first interview, research was seen as scientist's lonely activity, whereas students mentioned in the second interview that research was collaborative work. S3 said:

"All group members needed collaboratively work to find out our own way to attain the shared goal of the research project. It is important for each member to actively make contribution to the research project. I needed to understand how I could contribute to group work, like my own role in this group. Before I participated in this course, I thought research should be done alone, but now I realize that research also includes group work, and collaborative work with members is really essential to the research project." (S3, Group1; Final week 2013)

From a cognitive perspective, research was viewed as a knowledge construction process by them in the final week. S14 said:

"I could realise that research includes the processes of integrating a variety of data into the meaning, and presenting the findings to people. It was very difficult to answer our research questions based on such an extensive data obtained from interview and questionnaire survey and we struggled to interpret those data, but I noticed that this process of thinking was research." (S14, Group 3, Final week, 2014)

Therefore, analysis of interview data shows that students' perceptions of research have changed qualitatively through experience in conducting research.

Relationship between perceptions of research and approaches to learning

Deep approach to learning.

Students who could have a process-oriented perception of research took a qualitatively deeper approach to learning during the course. Five themes regarding deep approach to learning emerged from the analysis of interview data: inquiring mind, synthesis of knowledge, active participation, collaborative learning and reflective learning.

Firstly, their inquiring mind intrinsically motivated their engagement with the research. As S4 mentioned, he did not feel that he was forced to do the research project by someone in a mandatory course. Such motivation has led to their deep approaches to learning.

"I have a research stance that seeks what I want to know for its own sake. Now, I'm not reluctantly doing research under someone's instruction. Rather, with tutor's advices, I'm carrying out the research on my own initiative, umm, pursue what I want to know for my own sake." (S4, Group1; Final week 2013)

"I want to do further investigation by interviewing with the students which can be useful for a deeper analysis of PBL. I felt only questionnaire was not enough to better understand their attitudes toward PBL." (S7, Group 2; Final week 2013)

Secondly, students expressed synthesis of knowledge which is a more complex cognitive process in Bloom's taxonomy. 27 For instance, S11 fully enjoyed drawing a conclusion from a large amount of data. S11's comments implied that interpretation of the phenomenon involved comparison, integration and categorisation of data:

"I felt really interesting in interpreting the common or different ideas on family and career planning among male and female medical students from extensive data obtained through interviews and questionnaire survey. Apparently, I supposed that those data were not interrelated, but, in fact, I realized that there was a story on what human being is behind the data." (S11, Group 3, Final week, 2014)

Thirdly, in transition from direct instructional context to student-centred learning context, necessity of active learning was strongly acknowledged by them. In doing research project, students needed to collect and analyse data on their own initiative in order to investigate what they want to know. S4 said:

"I've got used to obtaining knowledge by listening to teachers since I was a child. It was a kind of first time to work out a plan for the research project by ourselves. I realised the importance of actively study something in my career as a medical doctor through research design, data collection and analysis in the course." (S4, Group1, Final week, 2013)

Fourthly, in the context of collaborative work, the importance of teamwork was also emphasised. Although S3 felt it difficult to make contribution to the group work, she realised that sharing her opinions can be essential to elaboration of research planning and data analysis in group.

"Through research, I realised the importance of expressing my opinion explicitly. At the beginning, I hesitated to do it, because I worried if my opinion would be off the point in the group discussion, but now I can say any opinions can contribute to the research work, which can be also related to teamwork." (S3, Group 1, Final week, 2013)

Lastly, each student continuously reflected on the progress of their research work, their underlying belief on research and areas of improvement in order to attain the shared goals. For instance, S5 attempted to better understand the nature of qualitative research during this course, and he noticed that this reflective process actually led to his meaningful learning.

"During the research project, I was always thinking of what qualitative research is and how I could qualitatively analyse data obtained. This kind of reflection on what I did and repeatedly thinking of qualitative research connected to meaningful learning. Although I couldn't find out the exact answer during this course, this was a good experience for me." (S7, Group 2, Final week, 2013)

S1 tried to improve the consistency of their work through reflection on the research purposes which were discussed at the early stage. S1 acknowledged the importance of reflection in doing research:

"It was very important to take the consistency of the research into account. Don't forget what we originally wanted to know and clarify. When I was stuck with research planning and data analysis, I always reflected on what we discussed with respect to research questions in Week 1." (S1, Group 1; Final week, 2013)

Strategic approach to learning

Students who had only a content-oriented perception of research tended to take a strategic approach to learning, which aims to earn the (highest possible) grades of the course, such as well organised study methods and effective time management. 23 However, there was a slight change from surface-strategic to deep-strategic approaches. For instance, at the early stage of research project, S6 attempted to manage what he needed to do in his group by minimal effort and only followed tutors' suggestions. S6 stated:

"I felt my ideas were not insightful, and I couldn't effectively make contribution to the group work. That's why I focused on just listening to others and following others' suggestions, which was the most efficient way of completing the task." (S6, Group 2; Week 2, 2013)

His main focus was on finding an efficient way of completing the task in this course. He did not build knowledge through active interaction with members but keep quiet to avoid interrupting others’ discussions. However, as he experienced a group situation where others were stuck and there was frequent silence during research planning, his approach to research project appeared to change to a deep-strategic approach. S6 stated:

"I started to think that I had to share my opinions in our group, otherwise we couldn't finish this project on time.

When they were completely stuck in the meeting, I strongly felt that I needed to do something. Once I made contribution in the discussion, I started to enjoy participating in this project." (S6, Group 2; Final week, 2013)

Although his main aim was to complete the task and to obtain safe grade in this research course, he could take a leadership in the group and share his opinions more actively.

Factors affecting students' engagement with undergraduate research

This study identified four main inclusive factors which led to the Japanese medical students in this study expressing practical difficulties in the course:

• Prior learning experience
• Values towards interpersonal communication
• Understanding of research process
• Social relationships with tutors and peers

The first factor is their prior learning experiences. Students identified a gap in the instructional approaches between their prior learning experiences and undergraduate research. In Week 2, most students regarded learning as an activity where students are taught by a teacher's highly structured direction and provision of knowledge. On the other hand, undergraduate research is a more open-ended, inductive and student-centred activity. They appeared to struggle to work out the research project due to this pedagogical gap. S2 said:

"There isn't a clear answer in advance, and no one will give an answer in doing research project. We have to build up hypothesis, and to verify it, we need to collect relevant data, and then analyse them in depth. So, research is totally different from learning. It puzzled me what to do in this research project." (S2, Group 1; Week 2, 2013)

The second factor is their values of interpersonal communication. Although students acknowledged that active participation was essential to their research project work, they tended to hesitate in active self-expression in the group. The major source of their reticence was not their fear of making mistakes itself, but an anxiety of whether they would disturb the collective work. For instance, since S6 highly valued intelligible explanation, he could rarely give uncertain information in the group. S6 said:

"I'm a poor talker by nature, and I don't want to bother others by sharing my uncertain idea. When I was not fully confident, I tended to hesitate to make contribution to the discussions." (S6, Group 2; Week 2, 2013)

The third factor is an understanding of research process. Practical difficulties during the research process include information searching, literature review, data collection and analysis. It was hard for them to obtain a clear image of what research is and what to do next during the course. S7 commented:

This was the first time to conduct qualitative research, so we couldn't even imagine what it is, and I didn't know what to do next in the research process. If we had to carry out research project by ourselves, I had no idea, like what I should do. (S7, Group 2, Final week, 2013)

The fourth factor is social relationships with tutors and peers. They sometimes felt that their participation was restricted by tutors' presence and instruction. S11 said:

"I think tutors had a strong presence. I know a tutor's opinion can be better than ours. I wasn't confident enough to express a thoughtful opinion in group discussions. So, sometimes I waited for tutor's suggestions rather than sharing my idea." (S11, Group 3, Week 2, 2014)

Furthermore, some students found it difficult to identify their own role in the group. For instance, S1 who was a more experienced member struggled to find a way to effectively contribute to the group work. S1 said:

"I have to find a suitable position in the group. It was difficult to identify my own role in this group. I felt other members were getting more independent, not relying on me. So, I need to think about how I can contribute to this group." (S1, Group 1, Week 2, 2013)

This interview excerpt shows that identity formation as a member is a key element of students' research activity, particularly in a collaborative learning context.

This study has drawn on phenomenography as research methodology to explore students' experiences in undergraduate research from the lens of study participants. Specifically, the focus of this study was on examining how research experiences informed students' perceptions of research and approaches to learning. Whilst all students were originally identified as aligning to a 'content-oriented' approach to studying, by the final week of the research project, ten out of 14 students in this study changed perceptions of research to a process-oriented view. By tracing changes in perception over time, data analysis revealed that, through participation in research project, their approaches to learning became qualitatively deeper, (-an inquiring mind, synthesis of knowledge, active participation, collaborative learning and reflective learning). Although four students' perceptions of research remained content-oriented, their strategic approaches to learning were also qualitatively changed. Although students took different approaches to learning in the undergraduate research, this study fully described the processes of changes in their perceptions of research and approaches to learning.

This study found that students' perceptions of research were (re-)formed through their actual research experiences, and these epistemological changes led to the adoption of deep approaches to learning in this course. The findings concurred with the previous studies which specified the key learning outcomes related to research skills. 28 , 29 Specifically, two types of learning outcomes would be expected in research-based education. 28

The first type is professional skills learning outcome which includes management of resources and time, self-directed learning, and communication skills. Students in this study could regard research as an activity with inquiring mind and mutual engagement within the context of "Research Experience" course. Thus, a given context, perception, and approaches to learning are reciprocally related. 23

The second type is research skills learning outcome which includes critical appraisal and synthesis of evidence, formulating a research question and study design, data analysis and management. 28 - 30 This learning outcome is fundamental not only to pursuing a research career but also to the routine practice and scholarly activity of all clinical professionals. Therefore, introduction of research-based education into the early undergraduate curriculum allows medical students to cultivate both research-specific skills and transferable skills, which are basically necessary for continuing professional development. 31 The corroboration of this phenomenological study's findings with those from prior studies on undergraduate research in medical education indicate that collaborative research-based education should be implemented at the level of medical undergraduate curriculum as an essential springboard for becoming a medical professional. Findings from this study also demonstrate that students' awareness of the links between research and learning is an important outcome in undergraduate research. 32 Through the research experience, students in this study could identify the vital link between research and learning. For instance, S2 mentioned in a final reflection that " I feel research can include not only scientists' work but also our daily activity of learning ". As development of research skills is seen as an underlying principle in all education, learning through research is also pivotal to health professional development. 13 , 28 Specifically, the inductive process of inquiry is closely connected with the principle of lifelong learning, clinical reasoning and EBM approach. 10 Thus, research activity as an educational practice provides undergraduates with an opportunity not only to understand how the research process can contribute to the advancement of knowledge but also to enhance their research skills and active learning.

Research activity promotes students' active and reflective learning. In this study, some students were regularly reflecting on the progress of their research project and their own contributions to collective learning. Branch and Paranjape stated that "reflection leads to growth of the individual-morally, personally, psychologically, and emotionally, as well as cognitively". 33 Learning journals and feedback are effective ways to further enhance their reflective learning in undergraduate research. In particular, provision of feedback from tutors is essential for promoting students' deep approach to learning.

Learners' cultural assumptions in relation to a collective activity are considered one of the elements that shape new learning process. 34 , 35 In this study, students' values towards interpersonal communication were highly influential in their research experiences. Students addressed some difficulties in self-expression during the discussions, for instance, S6 said that "I don't want to bother others by sharing my uncertain idea" . Such a tendency came from not only their limited experience of student-initiated learning but also their values that prioritise a collective activity. However, as they recognised the importance of active self-expression in the group, the influence of their cultural assumptions gradually diminished. Medical educators need to understand that learning is shaped through students' ongoing participation, and they can adapt to the new learning context. Therefore, Japanese students, like other Asian students, cannot simply be categorised into a stable perception of quiet, passive and dependent learners.  Exploring the process of individuals' participation allows for better understanding variation in their ways of knowing, doing and being a member in a context of student-centred classroom.

An important aspect of facilitating students' active participation in research lies in keeping a balance between tutors' intervention and students' autonomy at each step of the research process. 5 , 36 This study found that as the relationships between tutors and students in undergraduate research were socially dynamic, the roles of tutor needed to be defined according to students' prior research/learning experiences, the quality of research questions set by the students, and difficulties encountered during the research process. 4 - 7 A better understanding of cultural, social or experiential factors that affect students' research activities are, thus, critical for enhancement of their active learning through undergraduate research.

Medical education studies in undergraduate research to date have tended to focus on students' perceptions of research and curriculum descriptions of research-based education. This phenomenographic study revealed qualitative changes in students' perceptions of research and approaches to learning over time through observation of and reflection on their on-going participation in the research project. Although the sample size appeared to be relatively small, these findings could provide insights into the potential for undergraduate research in health professions education, which can further enhance students' deeper approach to learning and cultivate their basic skills necessary to continuing professional development. Furthermore, this evidence in this study can be a springboard for making more elaborative exploration of students' learning process in undergraduate research.

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the students who participated, and shared their experiences with us.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Definition of 'research student'

Research student in british english.

Examples of 'research student' in a sentence research student

Trends of research student.

View usage for: All Years Last 10 years Last 50 years Last 100 years Last 300 years

Browse alphabetically research student

• research scholarship
• research scientist
• research shows
• research student
• research study
• research subject
• research suggests
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'R'

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Score: 0 / 5

Wordle Helper

Scrabble Tools

Student Engagement: Current State of the Construct, Conceptual Refinement, and Future Research Directions

• Review Article
• Published: 06 July 2021
• Volume 34 , pages 107–138, ( 2022 )

Cite this article

• Zi Yang Wong   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2755-5316 1 &
• Gregory Arief D. Liem 1  

7140 Accesses

42 Citations

9 Altmetric

Explore all metrics

Notwithstanding its crucial role in facilitating desired outcomes of schooling, educational psychology researchers have recognized the conceptual haziness of student engagement as a multidimensional construct. With the main purpose of refining its conceptual definition, this paper aims to attain the following four goals. First, we seek to highlight theoretical, conceptual, and operational concerns about the student engagement construct, and synthesize these concerns into four related areas: overgeneralization, jingle-jangle fallacies, object ambiguity, and under-theorization. Second, we conduct a comprehensive review of prevailing perspectives on student engagement and critically examine their strengths and limitations. Building upon such extant models, third, we offer the Dual Component Framework of Student Engagement, which differentiates learning engagement from school engagement, and articulates the conceptual definition and scope, as well as the objects and dimensions, of the two engagement constructs. Lastly, we underscore the theoretical, research, and applied implications of the proposed framework in advancing the field of student engagement.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Data Availability

Not applicable.

Allen, K., Kern, M. L., Vella-Brodrick, D., Hattie, J., & Waters, L. (2018). What schools need to know about fostering school belonging: a meta-analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 30 (1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-016-9389-8 .

Article   Google Scholar  

Appleton, J. J., Christenson, S. L., Kim, D., & Reschly, A. L. (2006). Measuring cognitive and psychological engagement: validation of the student engagement instrument. Journal of School Psychology, 44 (5), 427–445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2006.04.002 .

Appleton, J. J., Christenson, S. L., & Furlong, M. J. (2008). Student engagement with school: critical conceptual and methodological issues of the construct. Psychology in the Schools, 45 (5), 369–386. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20303 .

Archambault, I., Janosz, M., Fallu, J., & Pagani, L. S. (2009). Student engagement and its relationship with early high school dropout. Journal of Adolescence, 32 (3), 651–670. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2008.06.007 .

Ashinoff, B. K., & Abu-Akel, A. (2021). Hyperfocus: The forgotten frontier of attention. Psychological Research, 85 (1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-019-01245-8 .

Azevedo, R. (2015). Defining and measuring engagement and learning in science: conceptual, theoretical, methodological, and analytical issues. Educational Psychologist, 50 (1), 84–94. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2015.1004069 .

Baumeister, R. F. (2016). Toward a general theory of motivation: problems, challenges, opportunities, and the big picture. Motivation and Emotion, 40 (1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-015-9521-y .

Ben-Eliyahu, A., Moore, D., Dorph, R., & Schunn, C. D. (2018). Investigating the multidimensionality of engagement: affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement across science activities and contexts. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 53 , 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2018.01.002 .

Boekaerts, M. (2016). Engagement as an inherent aspect of the learning process. Learning and Instruction, 43 , 76–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.02.001 .

Caspi, A., Chajut, E., Saporta, K., & Beyth-Marom, R. (2006). The influence of personality on social participation in learning environments. Learning and Individual Differences, 16 (2), 129–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2005.07.003 .

Chi, M. T. H., Adams, J., Bogusch, E. B., Bruchok, C., Kang, S., Lancaster, M., Levy, R., Li, N., McEldoon, K. L., Stump, G. S., Wylie, R., Xu, D., & Yaghmourian, D. L. (2018). Translating the ICAP theory of cognitive engagement into practice. Cognitive Science, 42 (6), 1777–1832. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12626 .

Christenson, S. L., Reschly, A. L., & Wylie, C. (Eds.). (2012). Handbook of research on student engagement . Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7 .

Cleary, T. J., & Zimmerman, B. J. (2004). Self-regulation empowerment program: a school-based program to enhance self-regulated and self-motivated cycles of student learning. Psychology in the Schools, 41 (5), 537–550. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.10177 .

Cohen, R. A. (2014). The neuropsychology of attention . Springer . https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-72639-7 .

Cohen, J., Mccabe, E. M., Michelli, N. M., & Pickeral, T. (2009). School climate: research, policy, practice, and teacher education. Teachers College Record, 111 (1), 180–213.

Connell, J. P., & Wellborn, J. G. (1991). Competence, autonomy and relatedness: a motivational analysis of self-system processes. In M. Gunnar & L. A. Sroufe (Eds.), Minnesota Symposium on Child Psychology: Vol. 23. Self processes in development (pp. 43–77). University of Chicago Press.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience . Harper & Row.

Delle Fave, A., & Bassi, M. (2000). The quality of experience in adolescents' daily lives: developmental perspectives. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 126 (3), 347–367.

Google Scholar  

Dinsmore, D. L. (2017). Toward a dynamic, multidimensional research framework for strategic processing. Educational Psychology Review, 29 (2), 235–268. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-017-9407-5 .

Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: a meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82 (1), 405–432. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01564.x .

Eccles, J. S. (2016). Engagement: Where to next? Learning and Instruction, 43 , 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.02.003 .

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26 (2), 43–71. https://doi.org/10.1002/piq.21143 .

Faircloth, B. S. (2012). “Wearing a mask” vs. connecting identity with learning. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 37 (3), 186–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2011.12.003 .

Finn, J. D. (1989). Withdrawing from school. Review of Educational Research, 59 (2), 117–142. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543059002117 .

Finn, J. D., & Cox, D. (1992). Participation and withdrawal among fourth-grade pupils. American Educational Research Journal, 29 (1), 141–162. https://doi.org/10.2307/1162905 .

Finn, J. D., & Zimmer, K. S. (2012). Student engagement: what is it? Why does it matter? In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 97–131). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_5 .

Finn, J. D., Folger, J., & Cox, D. (1991). Measuring participation among elementary grade students. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 51 (2), 393–402. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164491512013 .

Fitzgerald, M. S., & Palincsar, A. S. (2019). Teaching practices that support student sensemaking across grades and disciplines: a conceptual review. Review of Research in Education, 43 (1), 227–248. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X18821115 .

Fredricks, J. A., Blumenfeld, P. C., & Paris, A. H. (2004). School engagement: potential of the concept, state of the evidence. Review of Educational Research, 74 (1), 59–109. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074001059 .

Fredricks, J. A., Filsecker, M., & Lawson, M. A. (2016a). Student engagement, context, and adjustment: addressing definitional, measurement, and methodological issues. Learning and Instruction, 43 , 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.02.002 .

Fredricks, J. A., Wang, M.-T., Linn, J. S., Hofkens, T. L., Sung, H., Parr, A., & Allerton, J. (2016b). Using qualitative methods to develop a survey measure of math and science engagement. Learning and Instruction, 43 , 5–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.01.009 .

Fredricks, J. A., Reschly, A. L., & Christenson, S. L. (Eds.). (2019). Handbook of student engagement interventions: working with disengaged students . Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2016-0-04519-9 .

Furlong, M. J., Whipple, A. D., Jean, G. S., Simental, J., Soliz, A., & Punthuna, S. (2003). Multiple contexts of school engagement: moving toward a unifying framework for educational research and practice. California School Psychologist, 8 (1), 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03340899 .

González, A., & Paoloni, P. V. (2014). Self-determination, behavioral engagement, disaffection, and academic performance: a mediational analysis. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 17 , 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1017/sjp.2014.82 .

Goodenow, C. (1993). The psychological sense of school membership among adolescents: scale development and educational correlates. Psychology in the Schools, 30 (1), 79–90. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6807(199301)30:1<79::AID-PITS2310300113>3.0.CO;2-X .

Green, J., Martin, A. J., & Marsh, H. W. (2007). Motivation and engagement in English, mathematics and science high school subjects: towards an understanding of multidimensional domain specificity. Learning and Individual Differences, 17 (3), 269–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2006.12.003 .

Greene, B. A. (2015). Measuring cognitive engagement with self-report scales: reflections from over 20 years of research. Educational Psychologist, 50 (1), 14–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2014.989230 .

Griffiths, A.-J., Sharkey, J. D., & Furlong, M. J. (2009). Student engagement and positive school adaptation. In R. Gilman, E. S. Huebner, & M. J. Furlong (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology in schools (pp. 197–211). Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Handelsman, M. M., Briggs, W. L., Sullivan, N., & Towler, A. (2005). A measure of college student course engagement. The Journal of Education Research, 98 (3), 184–191. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOER.98.3.184-192 .

Hilgard, E. R. (1980). The trilogy of mind: cognition, affection, and conation. Journal of the History of the Behavioural Sciences, 16 (2), 107–117. https://doi.org/10.1002/1520-6696(198004)16:2%3C107::AID-JHBS2300160202%3E3.0.CO;2-Y .

Hospel, V., & Galand, B. (2016). Are both classroom autonomy support and structure equally important for students' engagement? A multilevel analysis. Learning and Instruction, 41 , 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2015.09.001 .

Hughes, J. N., & Chen, Q. (2011). Reciprocal effects of student–teacher and student–peer relatedness: effects on academic self efficacy. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 32 (5), 278–287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2010.03.005 .

Jaccard, J., & Jacoby, J. (2010). Theory construction and model-building skills: a practical guide for social scientists . The Guilford Press.

Jang, H., Kim, E. J., & Reeve, J. (2016). Why students become more engaged or more disengaged during the semester: a self-determination theory dual-process model. Learning and Instruction, 43 , 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.01.002 .

Jimerson, S. R., Campos, E., & Greif, J. L. (2003). Toward an understanding of definitions and measures of school engagement and related terms. California School Psychologist, 8 (1), 7–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03340893 .

Keller, J. M. (2009). Motivational design for learning and performance: the ARCS model approach . Springer.

King, R. B., & McInerney, D. M. (2019). Family-support goals drive engagement and achievement in a collectivist context: integrating etic and emic approaches in goal research. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 58 , 338–353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.04.003 .

Knifsend, C. A., Bell, A. N., & Juvonen, J. (2017). Identification with multiple groups in multiethnic middle schools: what predicts social ingroup overlap? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46 (2), 317–327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0535-x .

Kreiner, G. E., & Ashforth, B. E. (2004). Evidence toward an expanded model of organizational identification. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25 (1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.234 .

Ladd, G. W., & Dinella, L. M. (2009). Continuity and change in early school engagement: predictive of children's achievement trajectories from first to eighth grade? Journal of Educational Psychology, 101 (1), 190–206. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013153 .

Ladd, G. W., Buhs, E. S., & Seid, M. (2000). Children's initial sentiments about kindergarten: is school liking an antecedent of early classroom participation and achievement? Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 46 (2), 255–279.

Lam, S. F., Jimerson, S., Wong, B. P. H., Kikas, E., Shin, H., Veiga, F. H., Hatzichristou, C., Polychroni, F., Cefai, C., Negovan, V., Stanculescu, E., Yang, H., Liu, Y., Basnett, J., Duck, R., Farrell, P., Nelson, B., & Zollneritsch, J. (2014). Understanding and measuring student engagement in school: the results of an international study from 12 countries. School Psychology Quarterly, 29 (2), 213–232. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000057 .

Lazowski, R. A., & Hulleman, C. S. (2016). Motivation interventions in education: a meta-analytic review. Review of Educational Research, 86 (2), 602–640. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654315617832 .

Lee, E., Reynolds, K. J., Subasic, E., Bromhead, D., Lin, H., Marinov, V., & Smithson, M. (2017). Development of a dual school climate and school identification measure–student (SCASIM-St). Contemporary Educational Psychology, 49 , 91–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2017.01.003 .

Li, Y. (2011). School engagement: what it is and why it is important for positive youth development. In R. M. Lerner, J. V. Lerner, & J. B. Benson (Eds.), Advances in child development and behavior: Positive youth development (pp. 131–160). Elsevier.

Li, Y., & Lerner, R. M. (2013). Interrelations of behavioral, emotional, and cognitive school engagement in high school students. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42 (1), 20–32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-012-9857-5 .

Liem, G. A. D. (2016). Academic and social achievement goals: their additive, interactive, and specialized effects on school functioning. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 86 (1), 37–56. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12085 .

Liem, G. A. D., & Martin, A. (2012). The motivation and engagement scale: theoretical framework, psychometric properties, and applied yields. Australian Psychologist, 47 (1), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-9544.2011.00049.x .

Linnenbrink, E. A. (2007). The role of affect in student learning: a multi-dimensional approach to considering the interaction of affect, motivation, and engagement. In P. A. Schutz & R. Pekrun (Eds.), Emotion in education: A volume in educational psychology (pp. 107–124). Academic Press.

Luo, W., Paris, S. G., Hogan, D., & Luo, Z. (2011). Do performance goals promote learning? A pattern analysis of Singapore students’ achievement goals. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36 (2), 165–176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2011.02.003 .

Marks, H. M. (2000). Student engagement in instructional activity: patterns in the elementary, middle, and high school years. American Educational Research Journal, 37 (1), 153–184. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312037001153 .

Martin, A. J. (2007). Examining a multidimensional model of student motivation and engagement using a construct validation approach. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 77 (2), 413–440. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709906X118036 .

Martin, A. J., Ginns, P., & Papworth, B. (2017). Motivation and engagement: same or different? Does it matter? Learning and Individual Differences, 55 , 150–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2017.03.013 .

Martinez, A., Coker, C., McMahon, S. D., Cohen, J., & Thapa, A. (2016). Involvement in extracurricular activities: identifying differences in perceptions of school climate. The Educational and Developmental Psychologist, 33 (1), 70–84. https://doi.org/10.1017/edp.2016.7 .

Massin, O. (2017). Towards a definition of efforts. Motivation Science, 3 (3), 230–259. https://doi.org/10.1037/mot0000066 .

Mosher, R., & MacGowan, B. (1985). Assessing student engagement in secondary schools: alternative conceptions, strategies of assessing, and instruments . University of Wisconsin, Research and Development Center. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 272812).

Mouratidis, A. A., & Sideridis, G. D. (2009). On social achievement goals: their relations with peer acceptance, classroom belongingness, and perceptions of loneliness. Journal of Experimental Education, 77 (3), 285–307. https://doi.org/10.3200/JEXE.77.3.285-308 .

Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2014). The concept of flow. In M. Csikszentmihalyi (Ed.), Flow and the foundations of positive psychology (pp. 239-263) . Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9088-8_16 .

National Research Council, & Institute of Medicine. (2004). Engaging schools: fostering high school students’ motivation to learn . National Academy Press.

Natriello, G. (1984). Problems in the evaluation of students and student disengagement from secondary schools. Journal of Research and Development in Education, 17 (4), 14–24.

Oyserman, D. (2013). Not just any path: implications of identity-based motivation for disparities in school outcomes. Economics of Education Review, 33 , 179–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2012.09.002 .

Pekrun, R. (2006). The control-value theory of achievement emotions: assumptions, corollaries, and implications for educational research and practice. Educational Psychology Review, 18 (4), 315–341. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-006-9029-9 .

Pianta, R. C. (2001). Student-Teacher Relationship Scale: professional manual . Psychological Assessment Resources.

Pintrich, P. R. (1999). Taking control of research on volitional control: challenges for future theory and research. Learning and Individual Differences, 11 (3), 335–354. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1041-6080(99)80007-7 .

Pöysä, S., Vasalampi, K., Muotka, J., Lerkkanen, M., Poikkeus, A., & Nurmi, J. (2018). Variation in situation-specific engagement among lower secondary school students. Learning and Instruction, 53 , 64–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2017.07.007 .

Reed, J. H., Schallert, D. L., & Deithloff, L. F. (2002). Investigating the interface between self-regulation and involvement processes. Educational Psychologist, 37 (1), 53–57. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326985EP3701_6 .

Reeve, J. (2012). A self-determination theory perspective on student engagement. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 149–172). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_7 .

Reeve, J. (2013). How students create motivationally supportive learning environments for themselves: the concept of agentic engagement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105 (3), 579–595. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032690 .

Reeve, J., & Tseng, C.-M. (2011). Agency as a fourth aspect of student engagement during learning activities. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 36 (4), 257–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2011.05.002 .

Reeve, J., Lee, W., & Won, S. (2015). Interest as emotion, as affect, and as schema. In K. A. Renninger, M. Nieswandt, & S. Hidi (Eds.), Interest in mathematics and science learning (pp. 79–92). American Educational Research Association.

Reeve, J., Cheon, S. H., & Jang, H. (2020). How and why students make academic progress: reconceptualizing the student engagement construct to increase its explanatory power. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 62 , 101899. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101899 .

Reitan, R. M., & Wolfson, D. (2000). Conation: a neglected aspect of neuropsychological functioning. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 15 (5), 443–453. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0887-6177(99)00043-8 .

Reschly, A. L., & Christenson, S. L. (2012). Jingle, jangle, and conceptual haziness: evolution and future directions of the engagement construct. In S. L. Christenson, A. L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of research on student engagement (pp. 3–19). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_1 .

Reyes, M. R., Brackett, M. A., Rivers, S. E., White, M., & Salovey, P. (2012). Classroom emotional climate, student engagement, and academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 104 (3), 700–712. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0027268 .

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness . The Guilford Press.

Saks, A. M. (2019). Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement revisited. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 6 (1), 19–38. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOEPP-06-2018-0034 .

Salmela-Aro, K., & Upadaya, K. (2012). The schoolwork engagement inventory: energy, dedication, and absorption (EDA). European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 28 (1), 60–67. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000091 .

Salmela-Aro, K., Moeller, J., Schneider, B., Spicer, J., & Lavonen, J. (2016). Integrating the light and dark sides of student engagement using person-oriented and situation-specific approaches. Learning and Instruction, 43 , 61–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.01.001 .

Schaufeli, W. B., Martínez, I. M., Marques Pinto, A., Salanova, M., & Bakker, A. B. (2002a). Burnout and engagement in university students: a cross-national study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33 (5), 464–481. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022102033005003 .

Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002b). The measurement of engagement and burnout: a two sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3 (1), 71–92. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015630930326 .

Schunk, D. H. (1991). Learning theories: an educational perspective . Macmillan.

Schunk, D. H., Meece, J. R., & Pintrich, P. R. (2014). Motivation in education: theory, research, and applications (4th ed.). Pearson.

Shapiro, E. S. (2000). In T. R. Kratochwill (Ed.), Behavioral assessment in schools: theory, research, and clinical foundations (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.

Shernoff, D. J., & Anderson, B. (2014). Enacting flow and student engagement in the college classroom. In A. C. Parks & S. M. Schueller (Eds.), The Wiley Blackwell handbook of positive psychological interventions (pp. 194–212). Wiley Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118315927.ch11 .

Shernoff, D. J., Csikszentmihalyi, M., Shneider, B., & Shernoff, E. S. (2003). Student engagement in high school classrooms from the perspective of flow theory. School Psychology Quarterly, 18 (2), 158–176. https://doi.org/10.1521/scpq.18.2.158.21860 .

Shernoff, D. J., Ruzek, E. A., & Sinha, S. (2017). The influence of the high school classroom environment on learning as mediated by student engagement. School Psychology International, 38 (2), 201–218. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034316666413 .

Shin, D. D., & Kim, S.-I. (2019). Home curious: curious or interested? Educational Psychology Review, 31 (4), 853–874. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09497-x .

Shulman, S., & Laursen, B. (2002). Adolescent perceptions of conflict in interdependent and disengaged friendships. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 12 (3), 353–372. https://doi.org/10.1111/1532-7795.00037 .

Sinatra, G. M., Heddy, B. C., & Lombardi, D. (2015). The challenges of defining and measuring student engagement in science. Educational Psychologist, 50 (1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2014.1002924 .

Skinner, E. A., & Belmont, M. J. (1993). Motivation in the classroom: reciprocal effects of teacher behavior and student engagement across the school year. Journal of Educational Psychology, 85 (4), 571–581. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.85.4.571 .

Skinner, E., Furrer, C., Marchand, G., & Kindermann, T. (2008). Engagement and disaffection in the classroom: part of a larger motivational dynamic? Journal of Educational Psychology, 100 (4), 765–781. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012840 .

Skinner, E. A., Kindermann, T. A., & Furrer, C. J. (2009). A motivational perspective on engagement and disaffection: conceptualization and assessment of children’s behavioral and emotional participation in academic activities in the classroom. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 69 (3), 493–525. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164408323233 .

Steele, J. P., & Fullagar, C. J. (2009). Facilitators and outcomes of student engagement in a college setting. The Journal of Psychology, 143 (1), 5–27. https://doi.org/10.3200/JRLP.143.1.5-27 .

Tonks, S. M., Wigfield, A., & Eccles, J. S. (2018). Expectancy-value theory in cross-cultural perspective: what have we learned in the last 15 years? In G. A. D. Liem & D. M. Mclnerney (Eds.), Big theories revisited 2 (pp. 91–115). Information Age Publishing.

Trautwein, U., Lüdtke, O., Kastens, C., & Köller, O. (2006). Effort on homework in grades 5-9: development, motivational antecedents, and the association with effort on classwork. Child Development, 77 (4), 1094–1111. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2006.00921.x .

Tweed, R. G., & Lehman, D. R. (2002). Learning considered within a cultural context: Confucian and Socratic approaches. American Psychologist, 57 (2), 89–99. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.2.89 .

Upadyaya, K., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2013). Development of school engagement in association with academic success and well-being in varying social contexts: A review of empirical research. European Psychologist, 18 (2), 136–147. https://doi.org/10.1027/1016-9040/a000143 .

Voelkl, K. E. (1997). Identification with school. American Journal of Education, 105 (3), 294–318. https://doi.org/10.1086/444158 .

Waldrop, D., Reschly, A. L., Fraysier, K., & Appleton, J. J. (2019). Measuring the engagement of college students: administration format, structure, and validity of the Student Engagement Instrument–College. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 52 (2), 90–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481756.2018.1497429 .

Wammes, J. D., Seli, P., & Smilek, D. (2018). Mind-wandering in educational settings. In K. C. R. Fox & K. Christoff (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of spontaneous thought: Mind-wandering, creativity, and dreaming (pp. 259–271). Oxford University Press.

Wang, M.-T., Fredricks, J. A., Ye, F., Hofkens, T. L., & Linn, J. S. (2016). The Math and Science Engagement Scales: scale development, validation, and psychometric properties. Learning and Instruction, 43 , 16–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.01.008 .

Wang, M. T., Degol, J. L., & Henry, D. A. (2019a). An integrative development-in-sociocultural-context model for children’s engagement in learning. American Psychologist, 74 (9), 1086–1102. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000522 .

Wang, M.-T., Fredricks, J., Ye, F., Hofkens, T., & Linn, J. S. (2019b). Conceptualization and assessment of adolescents’ engagement and disengagement in school: a multidimensional school engagement scale. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 35 (4), 592–606. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000431 .

Wang, M.-T., Binning, K. R., Toro, J. D., Qin, X., & Zepeda, C. D. (2021). Skill, thrill, and will: the role of metacognition, interest, and self-control in predicting student Engagement in mathematics learning over time. Child Development . Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13531 .

Wentzel, K. R. (1999). Social-motivational processes and interpersonal relationships: implications for understanding motivation at school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 91 (1), 76–97. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.91.1.76 .

Wentzel, K. R., Muenks, K., McNeish, D., & Russell, S. (2018). Emotional support, social goals, and classroom behavior: a multilevel, multisite study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 110 (5), 611–627. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000239 .

Yang, C., Bear, G. G., & May, H. (2018). Multilevel associations between school-wide social–emotional learning approach and student engagement across elementary, middle, and high schools. School Psychology Review, 47 (1), 45–61. https://doi.org/10.17105/SPR-2017-0003.V47-1 .

Yik, M., Russell, J. A., & Steiger, J. H. (2011). A 12-point circumplex structure of core affect. Emotion, 11 (4), 705–731. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0023980 .

Zumbrunn, S., McKim, C., Buhs, E., & Hawley, L. R. (2014). Support, belonging, motivation, and engagement in the college classroom: a mixed method study. Instructional Science, 42 (5), 661–684. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-014-9310-0 .

Download references

Code Availability

Author information, authors and affiliations.

Psychology and Child & Human Development Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore, 637616, Singapore

Zi Yang Wong & Gregory Arief D. Liem

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zi Yang Wong .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval.

This is a review paper; therefore, no ethical approval is required.

Consent to Participate

Consent for publication, competing interests.

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Wong, Z.Y., Liem, G.A.D. Student Engagement: Current State of the Construct, Conceptual Refinement, and Future Research Directions. Educ Psychol Rev 34 , 107–138 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09628-3

Download citation

Accepted : 28 June 2021

Published : 06 July 2021

Issue Date : March 2022

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09628-3

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Student engagement
• Learning engagement
• School engagement
• Learning activities
• School community
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base

Methodology

• What Is Qualitative Research? | Methods & Examples

What Is Qualitative Research? | Methods & Examples

Published on June 19, 2020 by Pritha Bhandari . Revised on June 22, 2023.

Qualitative research involves collecting and analyzing non-numerical data (e.g., text, video, or audio) to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences. It can be used to gather in-depth insights into a problem or generate new ideas for research.

Qualitative research is the opposite of quantitative research , which involves collecting and analyzing numerical data for statistical analysis.

Qualitative research is commonly used in the humanities and social sciences, in subjects such as anthropology, sociology, education, health sciences, history, etc.

• How does social media shape body image in teenagers?
• How do children and adults interpret healthy eating in the UK?
• What factors influence employee retention in a large organization?
• How is anxiety experienced around the world?
• How can teachers integrate social issues into science curriculums?

Table of contents

Approaches to qualitative research, qualitative research methods, qualitative data analysis, advantages of qualitative research, disadvantages of qualitative research, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about qualitative research.

Qualitative research is used to understand how people experience the world. While there are many approaches to qualitative research, they tend to be flexible and focus on retaining rich meaning when interpreting data.

Common approaches include grounded theory, ethnography , action research , phenomenological research, and narrative research. They share some similarities, but emphasize different aims and perspectives.

Note that qualitative research is at risk for certain research biases including the Hawthorne effect , observer bias , recall bias , and social desirability bias . While not always totally avoidable, awareness of potential biases as you collect and analyze your data can prevent them from impacting your work too much.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Each of the research approaches involve using one or more data collection methods . These are some of the most common qualitative methods:

• Observations: recording what you have seen, heard, or encountered in detailed field notes.
• Interviews:  personally asking people questions in one-on-one conversations.
• Focus groups: asking questions and generating discussion among a group of people.
• Surveys : distributing questionnaires with open-ended questions.
• Secondary research: collecting existing data in the form of texts, images, audio or video recordings, etc.
• You take field notes with observations and reflect on your own experiences of the company culture.
• You distribute open-ended surveys to employees across all the company’s offices by email to find out if the culture varies across locations.
• You conduct in-depth interviews with employees in your office to learn about their experiences and perspectives in greater detail.

Qualitative researchers often consider themselves “instruments” in research because all observations, interpretations and analyses are filtered through their own personal lens.

For this reason, when writing up your methodology for qualitative research, it’s important to reflect on your approach and to thoroughly explain the choices you made in collecting and analyzing the data.

Qualitative data can take the form of texts, photos, videos and audio. For example, you might be working with interview transcripts, survey responses, fieldnotes, or recordings from natural settings.

Most types of qualitative data analysis share the same five steps:

• Prepare and organize your data. This may mean transcribing interviews or typing up fieldnotes.
• Review and explore your data. Examine the data for patterns or repeated ideas that emerge.
• Develop a data coding system. Based on your initial ideas, establish a set of codes that you can apply to categorize your data.
• Assign codes to the data. For example, in qualitative survey analysis, this may mean going through each participant’s responses and tagging them with codes in a spreadsheet. As you go through your data, you can create new codes to add to your system if necessary.
• Identify recurring themes. Link codes together into cohesive, overarching themes.

There are several specific approaches to analyzing qualitative data. Although these methods share similar processes, they emphasize different concepts.

Qualitative research often tries to preserve the voice and perspective of participants and can be adjusted as new research questions arise. Qualitative research is good for:

• Flexibility

The data collection and analysis process can be adapted as new ideas or patterns emerge. They are not rigidly decided beforehand.

• Natural settings

Data collection occurs in real-world contexts or in naturalistic ways.

• Meaningful insights

Detailed descriptions of people’s experiences, feelings and perceptions can be used in designing, testing or improving systems or products.

• Generation of new ideas

Open-ended responses mean that researchers can uncover novel problems or opportunities that they wouldn’t have thought of otherwise.

Researchers must consider practical and theoretical limitations in analyzing and interpreting their data. Qualitative research suffers from:

• Unreliability

The real-world setting often makes qualitative research unreliable because of uncontrolled factors that affect the data.

• Subjectivity

Due to the researcher’s primary role in analyzing and interpreting data, qualitative research cannot be replicated . The researcher decides what is important and what is irrelevant in data analysis, so interpretations of the same data can vary greatly.

• Limited generalizability

Small samples are often used to gather detailed data about specific contexts. Despite rigorous analysis procedures, it is difficult to draw generalizable conclusions because the data may be biased and unrepresentative of the wider population .

• Labor-intensive

Although software can be used to manage and record large amounts of text, data analysis often has to be checked or performed manually.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Chi square goodness of fit test
• Degrees of freedom
• Null hypothesis
• Discourse analysis
• Control groups
• Mixed methods research
• Non-probability sampling
• Quantitative research
• Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Research bias

• Rosenthal effect
• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Selection bias
• Negativity bias
• Status quo bias

Quantitative research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings.

Quantitative methods allow you to systematically measure variables and test hypotheses . Qualitative methods allow you to explore concepts and experiences in more detail.

There are five common approaches to qualitative research :

• Grounded theory involves collecting data in order to develop new theories.
• Ethnography involves immersing yourself in a group or organization to understand its culture.
• Narrative research involves interpreting stories to understand how people make sense of their experiences and perceptions.
• Phenomenological research involves investigating phenomena through people’s lived experiences.
• Action research links theory and practice in several cycles to drive innovative changes.

Data collection is the systematic process by which observations or measurements are gathered in research. It is used in many different contexts by academics, governments, businesses, and other organizations.

There are various approaches to qualitative data analysis , but they all share five steps in common:

• Prepare and organize your data.
• Review and explore your data.
• Develop a data coding system.
• Assign codes to the data.
• Identify recurring themes.

The specifics of each step depend on the focus of the analysis. Some common approaches include textual analysis , thematic analysis , and discourse analysis .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Bhandari, P. (2023, June 22). What Is Qualitative Research? | Methods & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved March 25, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/qualitative-research/

Is this article helpful?

Pritha Bhandari

Other students also liked, qualitative vs. quantitative research | differences, examples & methods, how to do thematic analysis | step-by-step guide & examples, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

• More from M-W
• To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

Definition of student

Examples of student in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'student.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English, from Latin student-, studens , from present participle of studēre to study — more at study

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing student

• mature student
• student union
• day student
• student council
• anti - student
• college / student deferment
• student government
• student teaching
• student body
• student driver
• student lamp
• student loan
• student teacher
• student's t distribution
• nontraditional student
• exchange student

Dictionary Entries Near student

stud driver

student's t distribution

Cite this Entry

“Student.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/student. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of student, more from merriam-webster on student.

Nglish: Translation of student for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of student for Arabic Speakers

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the day.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

8 grammar terms you used to know, but forgot, homophones, homographs, and homonyms, commonly misspelled words, how to use em dashes (—), en dashes (–) , and hyphens (-), absent letters that are heard anyway, popular in wordplay, the words of the week - mar. 22, 12 words for signs of spring, 9 superb owl words, 'gaslighting,' 'woke,' 'democracy,' and other top lookups, fan favorites: your most liked words of the day 2023, games & quizzes.

Student Definition

A student is someone who is enrolled in a degree-granting program (either undergraduate or graduate) at an institution of higher learning and registered full-time according to the definition of his/her respective academic institution, and who is not employed full-time. Students must submit written verification from a professor or other verifiable school authority at their institution attesting to their full-time student status when making an application.

In particular, note that post-docs and part-time students would not normally qualify as students for IAEE purposes.

Plinovodi Ltd., is Independent Transmission Operator (ITO) - company managing the natural gas transmission network on national level in the Republic of Slovenia, in EU. Our customers are large industrial users and local distributors, as well as cross-border shippers of natural gas. Natural gas is transported over pipeline network with the total length of 1.155 km.

Through our mission – we connect people and energy – with passion, we provide energy transmission and opportunities for energy supply and we are committed to reliability, safety and expertise, and strive for technological and social advancement. We create space for synergy between people, industry and environment.

In day-to-day operations we live our values – knowledge and professionalism, dedication, creativity, responsibility, respect, trust, integrity and self-initiative. Our people are the most important capital and our leadership is based on responsibility, inspiration and personal example .

Company's main development directions are promotion of use and transmission of natural gas, development of international connections and relations, sustainable growth and development, active cooperation within the value chain and advocacy of modern energy solutions.

Through our vision as a growing gas infrastructure pillar, connected with the environment and integrated into the international space, providing efficient energy solutions for people's needs we believe in our future development. A gaze into the future is taking into consideration the existing economic, climate and technological development of the natural gas market of the last decade, which reveals also new possibilities. Safe, reliable and competitive transmission of natural gas is not only a pillar of our rich history but also of time ahead of us.

Bogaziçi University’s vision is to be a leading institution of higher education, one that shapes the future through being a pioneer in education, teaching, and research. The primary tenets of our vision are to

• Enrich the education and teaching experiences with innovative and creative approaches;
• Strengthen the culture of science, research, creativity, and innovation to become one of the leading research universities in the world; and to
• Contribute to shaping a better future through our academic, scientific, and cultural activities.  

• Service continuity and quality: to fulfil this role, the company operates, maintains and develops the network. Enedis also invests in modernising and securing the network, particularly against extreme weather conditions.
• Non-discriminatory access to the distribution network in compliance with regulation

The Florence School of Regulation (FSR) was established in 2004 as an independent knowledge hub which brings together Regulators, Policy Makers, Academia and Industry to share the most innovative thinking in energy regulation.

Today the FSR operates as a global platform, engaging in the development of research, training and policy dialogue in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and beyond. The FSR is supported by an International Faculty of leading academics and practitioners, and it benefits from the contribution and advice of +300 global experts in the sector.

Institutionally, the FSR sits as a programme of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies of the European University Institute in Florence, Europe’s intergovernmental institution for doctoral and postdoctoral studies and research.

• Promote development of Energy and Water Supply Sectors within the competence of the Commission;
• Create legal basis and balance consumers’ and regulated companies’ interests for the purpose of effective regulation of the sectors;
• Implement new standards of transparency and independence in the tariff setting process.

The internationally top-ranked Khalifa University is the one university in the UAE with the research and academic programs that address the entire range of strategic, scientific and industrial challenges facing the UAE’s knowledge economy transformation and our rapidly evolving world. Its world-class faculty and state-of-the-art research facilities provide an unparalleled learning experience to students from the UAE and abroad. The university brings together the best in science, technology and engineering in the UAE, to offer specialized degrees that can take promising high school graduates all the way to top-rated doctorate degree holders

The Market Surveillance Administrator is a public agency created to promote the fair, efficient, and openly competitive operation of the electricity and retail natural gas markets in Alberta, Canada. It does this by undertaking surveillance, analysis, and public reporting related to these markets and by enforcing the applicable legislation, regulations, market rules, and reliability standards.

UCF Student Research Week 2024: Celebrating Innovation, Collaboration and Impact

Celebrating interdisciplinary excellence with keynotes to competitions, UCF scholars unite for research and creative scholarship.

By Mila Chial | March 21, 2024

There are few opportunities for students from across disciplines and colleges to come together quite like the UCF Student Research Week, taking place March 25-29. From groundbreaking engineering feats to captivating artistic projects, students from various fields and expertise levels gather this week to showcase their work within the UCF community.

The premiere event is the Student Scholar Symposium, which takes place March 26-27, where over 800 students showcase more than 600 projects. Graduate and undergraduate students summarize their research or creative projects on posters, providing viewers with a concise overview. During the symposium, judges interview presenters to select top projects in various categories. Winners are announced daily and receive scholarship awards to support their future endeavors.

After the Student Scholar Symposium on March 27, the College of Business will host the Impact of Research Competition. This event challenges students to articulate the significance and potential impact of their research, to address the ‘so what?’ question and thereby demonstrate how their contributions can improve the world. The top three winners will receive $3,000 in awards to support the continuation of their work.

We’re pleased to announce that this year, we will host keynote speaker, Jorge Cham, on March 28. Cham is the best-selling and Emmy-nominated creator of PHD Comics , a popular comic strip offering a humorous portrayal of academia. The Panamanian engineer turned cartoonist, writer, and producer began crafting his comedy while pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Stanford University.  His talk promises to be insightful and entertaining, as he examines the sources of stress for creative and scientific professionals, explores the myth of procrastination, and helps students reconnect with their inner drive and motivation.

On March 29, the Enhancing Lives Showcase offers the opportunity to discover the incredible creative scholarship at UCF in a more personalized setting. Explore interactive displays showcasing artworks, videos, and posters detailing how the knowledge and skills gained through research enabled each creation. Engage with students as they share insights into their work.

After the showcase, the week closes with the Excellence Awards, recognizing the dedication and efforts of UCF students and faculty mentors who work diligently throughout the year on research and creative endeavors.

Student Research Week events help foster camaraderie build presentation skills and bring people together while allowing students to receive recognition for their hard work.

“Research is undoubtedly an integral part of graduate study and drives the discovery that makes UCF one of the top universities in innovation,” says Elizabeth Klonoff, vice provost and dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

Kim Schneider, assistant vice provost in the Division of Student Success and Well-Being states, “We are excited to see the incredible work of all students and recognize the symposium as a valuable opportunity for them to share their expertise. However, what inspires this event each year is the collaboration and community it instills in those who participate and attend.”

Student Research Week is open to all students, faculty, staff, and the community. For more information or to see the full schedule and locations of events, visit researchweek.ucf.edu .

More Topics

Pegasus magazine.

Founded to help fuel talent for the nearby space industry , UCF continues to build its reputation as SpaceU. Here's a look at the early days of UCF's space ties and journey to new frontiers.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

What the Data Says About Pandemic School Closures, Four Years Later

The more time students spent in remote instruction, the further they fell behind. And, experts say, extended closures did little to stop the spread of Covid.

By Sarah Mervosh ,  Claire Cain Miller and Francesca Paris

Four years ago this month, schools nationwide began to shut down, igniting one of the most polarizing and partisan debates of the pandemic.

Some schools, often in Republican-led states and rural areas, reopened by fall 2020. Others, typically in large cities and states led by Democrats, would not fully reopen for another year.

A variety of data — about children’s academic outcomes and about the spread of Covid-19 — has accumulated in the time since. Today, there is broad acknowledgment among many public health and education experts that extended school closures did not significantly stop the spread of Covid, while the academic harms for children have been large and long-lasting.

While poverty and other factors also played a role, remote learning was a key driver of academic declines during the pandemic, research shows — a finding that held true across income levels.

Source: Fahle, Kane, Patterson, Reardon, Staiger and Stuart, “ School District and Community Factors Associated With Learning Loss During the COVID-19 Pandemic .” Score changes are measured from 2019 to 2022. In-person means a district offered traditional in-person learning, even if not all students were in-person.

“There’s fairly good consensus that, in general, as a society, we probably kept kids out of school longer than we should have,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, a pediatric infectious disease specialist who helped write guidance for the American Academy of Pediatrics, which recommended in June 2020 that schools reopen with safety measures in place.

There were no easy decisions at the time. Officials had to weigh the risks of an emerging virus against the academic and mental health consequences of closing schools. And even schools that reopened quickly, by the fall of 2020, have seen lasting effects.

But as experts plan for the next public health emergency, whatever it may be, a growing body of research shows that pandemic school closures came at a steep cost to students.

The longer schools were closed, the more students fell behind.

At the state level, more time spent in remote or hybrid instruction in the 2020-21 school year was associated with larger drops in test scores, according to a New York Times analysis of school closure data and results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress , an authoritative exam administered to a national sample of fourth- and eighth-grade students.

At the school district level, that finding also holds, according to an analysis of test scores from third through eighth grade in thousands of U.S. districts, led by researchers at Stanford and Harvard. In districts where students spent most of the 2020-21 school year learning remotely, they fell more than half a grade behind in math on average, while in districts that spent most of the year in person they lost just over a third of a grade.

( A separate study of nearly 10,000 schools found similar results.)

Such losses can be hard to overcome, without significant interventions. The most recent test scores, from spring 2023, show that students, overall, are not caught up from their pandemic losses , with larger gaps remaining among students that lost the most ground to begin with. Students in districts that were remote or hybrid the longest — at least 90 percent of the 2020-21 school year — still had almost double the ground to make up compared with students in districts that allowed students back for most of the year.

Some time in person was better than no time.

As districts shifted toward in-person learning as the year went on, students that were offered a hybrid schedule (a few hours or days a week in person, with the rest online) did better, on average, than those in places where school was fully remote, but worse than those in places that had school fully in person.

Students in hybrid or remote learning, 2020-21

80% of students

Some schools return online, as Covid-19 cases surge. Vaccinations start for high-priority groups.

Teachers are eligible for the Covid vaccine in more than half of states.

Most districts end the year in-person or hybrid.

Source: Burbio audit of more than 1,200 school districts representing 47 percent of U.S. K-12 enrollment. Note: Learning mode was defined based on the most in-person option available to students.

Income and family background also made a big difference.

A second factor associated with academic declines during the pandemic was a community’s poverty level. Comparing districts with similar remote learning policies, poorer districts had steeper losses.

But in-person learning still mattered: Looking at districts with similar poverty levels, remote learning was associated with greater declines.

A community’s poverty rate and the length of school closures had a “roughly equal” effect on student outcomes, said Sean F. Reardon, a professor of poverty and inequality in education at Stanford, who led a district-level analysis with Thomas J. Kane, an economist at Harvard.

Score changes are measured from 2019 to 2022. Poorest and richest are the top and bottom 20% of districts by percent of students on free/reduced lunch. Mostly in-person and mostly remote are districts that offered traditional in-person learning for more than 90 percent or less than 10 percent of the 2020-21 year.

But the combination — poverty and remote learning — was particularly harmful. For each week spent remote, students in poor districts experienced steeper losses in math than peers in richer districts.

That is notable, because poor districts were also more likely to stay remote for longer .

Some of the country’s largest poor districts are in Democratic-leaning cities that took a more cautious approach to the virus. Poor areas, and Black and Hispanic communities , also suffered higher Covid death rates, making many families and teachers in those districts hesitant to return.

“We wanted to survive,” said Sarah Carpenter, the executive director of Memphis Lift, a parent advocacy group in Memphis, where schools were closed until spring 2021 .

“But I also think, man, looking back, I wish our kids could have gone back to school much quicker,” she added, citing the academic effects.

Other things were also associated with worse student outcomes, including increased anxiety and depression among adults in children’s lives, and the overall restriction of social activity in a community, according to the Stanford and Harvard research .

Even short closures had long-term consequences for children.

While being in school was on average better for academic outcomes, it wasn’t a guarantee. Some districts that opened early, like those in Cherokee County, Ga., a suburb of Atlanta, and Hanover County, Va., lost significant learning and remain behind.

At the same time, many schools are seeing more anxiety and behavioral outbursts among students. And chronic absenteeism from school has surged across demographic groups .

These are signs, experts say, that even short-term closures, and the pandemic more broadly, had lasting effects on the culture of education.

“There was almost, in the Covid era, a sense of, ‘We give up, we’re just trying to keep body and soul together,’ and I think that was corrosive to the higher expectations of schools,” said Margaret Spellings, an education secretary under President George W. Bush who is now chief executive of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Closing schools did not appear to significantly slow Covid’s spread.

Perhaps the biggest question that hung over school reopenings: Was it safe?

That was largely unknown in the spring of 2020, when schools first shut down. But several experts said that had changed by the fall of 2020, when there were initial signs that children were less likely to become seriously ill, and growing evidence from Europe and parts of the United States that opening schools, with safety measures, did not lead to significantly more transmission.

“Infectious disease leaders have generally agreed that school closures were not an important strategy in stemming the spread of Covid,” said Dr. Jeanne Noble, who directed the Covid response at the U.C.S.F. Parnassus emergency department.

Politically, though, there remains some disagreement about when, exactly, it was safe to reopen school.

Republican governors who pushed to open schools sooner have claimed credit for their approach, while Democrats and teachers’ unions have emphasized their commitment to safety and their investment in helping students recover.

“I do believe it was the right decision,” said Jerry T. Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, which resisted returning to school in person over concerns about the availability of vaccines and poor ventilation in school buildings. Philadelphia schools waited to partially reopen until the spring of 2021 , a decision Mr. Jordan believes saved lives.

“It doesn’t matter what is going on in the building and how much people are learning if people are getting the virus and running the potential of dying,” he said.

Pandemic school closures offer lessons for the future.

Though the next health crisis may have different particulars, with different risk calculations, the consequences of closing schools are now well established, experts say.

In the future, infectious disease experts said, they hoped decisions would be guided more by epidemiological data as it emerged, taking into account the trade-offs.

“Could we have used data to better guide our decision making? Yes,” said Dr. Uzma N. Hasan, division chief of pediatric infectious diseases at RWJBarnabas Health in Livingston, N.J. “Fear should not guide our decision making.”

Source: Fahle, Kane, Patterson, Reardon, Staiger and Stuart, “ School District and Community Factors Associated With Learning Loss During the Covid-19 Pandemic. ”

The study used estimates of learning loss from the Stanford Education Data Archive . For closure lengths, the study averaged district-level estimates of time spent in remote and hybrid learning compiled by the Covid-19 School Data Hub (C.S.D.H.) and American Enterprise Institute (A.E.I.) . The A.E.I. data defines remote status by whether there was an in-person or hybrid option, even if some students chose to remain virtual. In the C.S.D.H. data set, districts are defined as remote if “all or most” students were virtual.

An earlier version of this article misstated a job description of Dr. Jeanne Noble. She directed the Covid response at the U.C.S.F. Parnassus emergency department. She did not direct the Covid response for the University of California, San Francisco health system.

How we handle corrections

Sarah Mervosh covers education for The Times, focusing on K-12 schools. More about Sarah Mervosh

Claire Cain Miller writes about gender, families and the future of work for The Upshot. She joined The Times in 2008 and was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for public service for reporting on workplace sexual harassment issues. More about Claire Cain Miller

Francesca Paris is a Times reporter working with data and graphics for The Upshot. More about Francesca Paris

Research Mentor Learning Communities (Summer 2024)

Course Description

Delta’s Research Mentor Learning Communities  are designed for graduate students and postdocs who are mentoring an undergraduate researcher or for whom mentoring may be an important part of their future career. They give you space to reflect and reinvigorate, as you receive concrete tools to support a successful mentor/mentee relationship.

This discussion-based seminar can be taken for one credit or no credit (for-credit option requires that you have a mentee).

If your section of interest is waitlisted, please register anyway. We monitor the waitlist regularly to determine whether to open additional capacity.

Section 1, In-person: postdoctoral scholars only

Dates:  Tuesdays, May 14-June 4 Times:  11:00-1:00 Facilitator:  Joshua Brown and Shawn Green Location:  Room 10, Agriculture Hall, 1450 Linden Drive Satisfies prerequisite toward the  Delta Certificate :  Δ (1 delta)

Register for Section 1, postdoc-only, in-person.

Section 2, In-person: graduate students and postdoctoral scholars

Dates:  Thursdays, May 23-June 20 Times:  9:30-11:30 Facilitator:  Andrew Greenberg Location : Room 2255, Engineering Hall, 1415 Engineering Drive Satisfies prerequisite toward the  Delta Certificate :  Δ (1 delta)

Register for Section 2, graduate students and postdoc, in-person.

Section 3, In-person: graduate students and postdoctoral scholars

Dates:  Mondays, May 20 and Tuesday May 21 Times:  8:00-1:00 Facilitator:  Jules Whitaker and Melissa Pergande Location:  Room 101, Agricultural Engineering Bldg., 460 Henry Mall Satisfies prerequisite toward the  Delta Certificate :  Δ (1 delta)

Register for Section 3, graduate students and postdocs, in-person.

Section 4, In-person: graduate students and postdoctoral scholars

Dates:  Fridays May 24-June 21 Times:  10:00 -12:00 Facilitator:  Beth Meyerand Location:  Room 117 (WISCIENCE), 445 Henry Mall Satisfies prerequisite toward the  Delta Certificate :  Δ (1 delta)

Register for Section 4, graduate students and postdocs, in-person.

Section 5, On-line: graduate students and postdoctoral scholars

Dates:   Mondays, June 3 -July 1 Times : 1:00-3:00 Facilitator: Eric Hooper Location:  On-line (Zoom) Satisfies prerequisite toward the Delta Certificate :  Δ (1 delta)

Register for Section 5, graduate students and postdocs, on-line.

Section 6, On-line: graduate students and postdoctoral scholars

Dates:   Tuesdays, June 18 -July 16 Times:  2:00-4:00 Facilitator:  Amy Gangl Location:   Online (Zoom) Satisfies prerequisite toward the Delta Certificate :  Δ (1 delta)

Register for Section 6, graduate students and postdocs, on-line.

Section 7, On-line: graduate students and postdoctoral scholars

Dates:   Thursdays, July 11-August 8 Times:  9:00-11:00 Facilitator: Jules Whitaker and Cynthia Simekha Location:  On-line (Zoom) Satisfies prerequisite toward the Delta Certificate :  Δ (1 delta)

Register for Section 7, graduate students and postdocs, on-line.

What do past participants say?

“One of the best classes I took in my PhD. It prepared me to work well with different types of mentees. I feel much more comfortable with mentoring and advising now.”

“Now I have better strategies regarding how to approach difficult conversations or use appropriate questions for the mentees.”

Contact [email protected]

Offered in collaboration with WISCIENCE.

STEMM faculty/staff mentor training sections are available here through WISCIENCE.

• Facebook Logo
• Twitter Logo
• Linkedin Logo

IYA ‘Student-driven Innovations in AI and Society’ Pilot Program to Launch in 2024

USC’s Office of Research & Innovation (OORI) is thrilled to announce the recent award made to support the creation of a new, two-year pilot program, titled “Student-driven Innovations in AI & Society.” A collaborative effort between the Center for Generative AI & Society (CGAIS) and USC Iovine and Young Academy (IYA), the pilot program will combine and expand upon the current resources and capabilities of each entity. The pilot program will be an engaging opportunity for students to explore topics such as  AI and Media,   AI and Education,  and  Transformative AI , alongside subject-matter-expert academic and industry mentors. The program will aim to help students form diverse teams and translate their ideas into prototypes as well as start-ups and non-profit applications embedded in society. Secondary outcomes of the pilot program may include grants, publications, philanthropic and industry fundraising, industry partnerships, and the development of a related industry academia-student incubator. 

This cross-cutting, multidisciplinary effort will involve faculty and staff from multiple schools, including Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, IYA, Rossier School of Education, and Viterbi School of Engineering.  The leadership team includes:  Stephen J. Aguilar, PhD, Assistant Professor of Education (Rossier); Gabriel Kahn, Professor of Professional Practice of Journalism, Co-Director of the M{2e} program, and Innovations Manager for the Annenberg Innovation Lab (Annenberg); Tina Sharkey, Lecturer, Business of Innovation (IYA); and Alexander Titus, Ph.D., Senior Supervising Computer Scientist and Principal Scientist (ISI-Viterbi). 

The pilot program will be a complimentary addition to USC’s expanding efforts in relation to student and researcher entrepreneurship, following the recent announcement of the USC and Techstars Digital Economy Program, which is focused on startups working on digital advancement across bioscience, biomedicine, physical science, engineering, information, and computer sciences. 

“USC is excited to create more opportunities to engage our students in innovative, forward-thinking research and activities,” said Dr. Steven Moldin, Associate Vice President of Research Strategy & Innovation, “this program will have a measurable impact on our students through the resources and experiences it will provide.”

The pilot program will be realized through an expansion of IYA’s Innovation Quest (we need the link here to Innovation Quest); an annual cycle of informal learning experiences that aim to help students conceptualize, prototype and commercialize integrated innovations at the intersection of technology, human-centric design and business. The expanded Innovation Quest will include a path for student innovations in GenAI and Society (with focus on AI and Media, AI and Education and Transformative AI).  Participating student-teams will receive guidance in developing seed proposal. Selected seed proposals will receive seed funding, dedicated mentoring from faculty and industry as well as access to facilities for idea development and prototyping. Seed proposals will compete at an annual Venture Showcase for a $30,000 GenAI and Society student innovation price.  

“IYA is excited to see the university support this timely initiative,” said Dr. Thanassis Rikakis, Dean of IYA, “we strongly believe that this program will help advance student ventures at the intersection of AI and society while also providing learning experiences in cross-cutting innovation and translation and advancing new challenge based learning methods for human-centric technology education and research. 

The pilot program will begin this in Fall 2024 and will run through June of 2026. 

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

In the solar eclipse's shadow, hundreds of students will launch balloons for NASA

Geoff Brumfiel

The eclipse on April 8 provides a unique opportunity for students across the country to conduct science. NASA is backing a nationwide project to collect data with research balloons.

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

The nation is just two weeks away from a total solar eclipse. The day it happens, across the country, undergraduate students will release hundreds of research balloons. NPR's Geoff Brumfiel has more on the effort to study the eclipse from the sky.

GEOFF BRUMFIEL, BYLINE: It's a chilly March morning in Cumberland, Md. We're in a parking lot at a local community college with Mary Bowden, a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland.

MARY BOWDEN: Getting ready to start inflation on two balloons simultaneously.

BRUMFIEL: Deflated, these balloons look like the biggest party balloons you've ever seen. On April 8, they'll carry long strings of scientific instruments into the path of the total solar eclipse. A big goal is to study the atmosphere. As the eclipse shadow travels from south to north across the U.S., it briefly cools the air. Bowden says it's like dragging a swizzle stick through a cup of hot coffee.

BOWDEN: The eclipse itself is kind of stirring up the atmosphere as it traverses across the country, and so what we're looking for is this sort of signature or the effect of that movement of this shadow.

BRUMFIEL: It's a great opportunity to learn a little more about how the atmosphere actually works. Today is the last chance to check all the equipment.

BOWDEN: And this is our final dress rehearsal, final test.

BRUMFIEL: Now, the thing about these balloons is that they're flown by undergraduate students.

DANIEL GRAMMER: It's just a club. Everybody here just volunteers to do it 'cause they like to do it.

BRUMFIEL: Daniel Grammer is a junior at the University of Maryland. He'll lead the launch on eclipse day. He says the team hopes to have spectacular views.

GRAMMER: Hopefully we'll have livestream video from the balloon in flight. And you'll be able to see the shadow as the moon moves over the sun, and you'll see the shadow pan across the Earth. And it'll be super-cool to look at.

BRUMFIEL: These balloons travel at 75 to 80,000 feet in altitude. That's twice as high as a commercial airplane flies.

(SOUNDBITE OF BALLOON INFLATING)

BRUMFIEL: The team gets to work filling their balloons with helium gas.

SAIMAH SIDDIQUI: Where are we at?

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: We are at 400.

SIDDIQUI: OK, so we're about three-quarters of the way full.

BRUMFIEL: Saima Siddiqui is in charge of inflating one of the balloons today. She's carefully watching as it fills.

Are you nervous at all?

SIDDIQUI: No. I've done this so many times. This is probably, like, my 30th launch or something. So it's up there. Yeah.

Tell me when you're off.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Yeah.

BRUMFIEL: Siddiqui begins to test the balloon to make sure it's got enough lifting power. But then suddenly, the balloon breaks loose and floats skyward.

SIDDIQUI: Oh.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Oh, no.

BRUMFIEL: Siddiqui and the rest of the team get their heads together to figure out what happened. It turns out they forgot to reset a device that cuts the string. It allows the balloon to float away and the scientific equipment to parachute back to the ground, where it can be recovered. But it's supposed to cut at the very end of the flight, not the beginning.

SIDDIQUI: It accidentally cut, and our balloon went. So now we're going to wait for them to make sure it won't cut again.

BRUMFIEL: I asked you before if you were feeling nervous. Are you feeling nervous now?

SIDDIQUI: No. I think we handled it well.

BRUMFIEL: Everyone remains calm. Meredith Embrey is responsible for tying the scientific payload to the balloon, which fortunately hadn't happened yet.

MEREDITH EMBREY: Good thing is we didn't lose the payload itself. And we always bring two spare balloons and double the amount of helium we need. So we will start inflating and do another balloon. Yeah, I've never seen that happen.

(SOUNDBITE OF METAL SCRAPING)

BRUMFIEL: The students get to work hooking up the spare helium. They've got to be quick because the wind is picking up. Siddiqui seems to love it, using engineering to solve problems on the fly under pressure. She hopes to someday have a career launching rockets.

SIDDIQUI: Maybe like a flight controller, flight operator type person for my full-time job.

BRUMFIEL: For what - like, NASA or SpaceX?

SIDDIQUI: If I can make it to NASA, for sure. Yeah.

BRUMFIEL: In fact, NASA is backing this ballooning team and dozens of others that will launch during the eclipse. The goal is to train a new generation with the skills they'll need to someday launch everything from satellites to astronauts. Balloons are a perfect first step, says Bowden.

BOWDEN: It's a microcosm of a NASA launch but cheap and fast, and you can do it again if you fail.

BRUMFIEL: You could launch accidentally.

BOWDEN: Oh, that, too.

BRUMFIEL: The second balloon is inflated, but the winds are picking up.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: We're getting there. We're getting there. It's red.

BRUMFIEL: The crew rushes to get the payloads ready until finally...

SIDDIQUI: OK, everyone stay clear if you're not doing anything. We are good for release.

BRUMFIEL: Flight director Kruti Bhingradiya gives the go-ahead.

KRUTI BHINGRADIYA: All right - ready for countdown.

SIDDIQUI: Three.

UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Two. One. Release.

BRUMFIEL: One by one, the balloons drift off into the clouds. Geoff Brumfiel, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF LOLA YOUNG SONG, "CONCEITED")

Copyright © 2024 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Texas A&M, The Association Of Former Students Announce 2024 Distinguished Achievement Honorees

Texas A&M University and The Association of Former Students have selected 25 outstanding faculty and staff to be honored with the 2024 university-level Distinguished Achievement Awards. Since 1955, the Distinguished Achievement Awards have been granted to those who exhibit the highest standards of excellence at Texas A&M.

The award honors Texas A&M faculty and staff members in teaching, research, individual student engagement, graduate mentoring, administration, staff and extension/outreach/continuing education/professional development.

The selection process for this award is rigorous, with the recipients chosen by a campus-wide committee composed of faculty, staff, students and former students. The award is a testimony to the esteem and high regard in which colleagues hold the recipients.

In recognition of their achievements, each recipient will receive a monetary gift, an engraved watch and a commemorative certificate. Recipients will be honored on April 26 at the Faculty Affairs Spring Awards Ceremony in the Student Recreation Center, Room 2229.

The 2024 awardees are:

Administration.

• Robert Ahdieh, School of Law
• Thomas McKnight, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences

Extension, Outreach, Continuing Education, and Professional Development

• William Byrnes, School of Law

Graduate Mentoring

• David Claridge, J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering
• David Russell, Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences

Individual Student Engagement

• Jennifer Rhinesmith-Carranza, Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Aakash Tyagi, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering
• Haitham Abu-Rub, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University at Qatar
• Rodolfo Nayga, Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Eric Peterson, J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering
• Lin Shao, Department of Nuclear Engineering, College of Engineering
• Farida Sohrabji, Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine
• David Threadgill, Department of Nutrition, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Jennifer Ford, Division of Student Affairs
• Gerald Smith, Division of Student Affairs
• Barry Boyd, Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Emily Cantrell, Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture, School of Education and Human Development
• Daniel Conway, Department of Philosophy and Humanities, College of Arts and Sciences
• Michelle Diaz, James Benjamin Department of Accounting, Mays Business School
• Debra Ellis, Department of Construction Science, School of Architecture
• Michelle Kwok, Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture, School of Education and Human Development
• Catharina Laporte, Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Verity McInnis, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
• Jayne Reuben, Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry
• Christina Wiederwohl, Department of Oceanography, College of Arts and Sciences

Related Stories

Texas A&M System Partners With JED Campus To Support Student Mental Health

A survey of students, faculty and staff will be conducted as part of the four-year initiative to enhance mental health and well-being programming and resources.

Aggie Volunteers Serve More Than 2,000 Area Residents During The Big Event

The student-organized service project mobilized more than 16,000 participants to complete jobs across Bryan-College Station ranging from yard work to home repairs.

Texas A&M Invites Everyone To ‘Take Back The Night’ April 3

Come to Aggie Park to help send the message that sexual violence is unacceptable and Aggies support safe communities.

Recent Stories

How Tiny Crystals Are Giving Solar Panels A Glow-Up

Chemical engineering major Juan Guio's faculty-led student research focused on exploring increased efficiency in photovoltaics.

Borlaug Institute Continues Life’s Work Of Agricultural Legend

On what would have been his 110th birthday, Nobel Peace Prize winner and food science pioneer Norman Borlaug continues to inspire those fighting world hunger.

Subscribe to the Texas A&M Today newsletter for the latest news and stories every week.