Student and Supervisor Perspective on Undergraduate Research in a Teaching-Intensive Setting in Oman

Student and Supervisor Perspective on Undergraduate Research in a Teaching-Intensive Setting in Oman

Undergraduate research (UGR) is a valuable experience that can potentially enhance the quality of graduates, and raise awareness of the importance of research and its impact on career development. These outcomes, however, depend on the environment under which students conduct research. The present s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Education sciences Vol. 13; no. 4; p. 346
Main Authors: Al Ajmi, Zainab, Al Na’abi, Aaya, Alrawahi, Abdul-Hakeem, Al Saadoon, Muna, Al Balushi, Huriya Darwish, Alhabsi, Fatema, Babiker, Hamza A
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-03-2023
Subjects:
Career development
College of Medicine and Health Sciences
College students
Colleges & universities
Curricula
Data Analysis
Data collection
Internships
Laboratories
Learning
Medical colleges
Medical students
Oman
Questionnaires
Research methodology
Skills
Study and teaching
Supervisors
supervisors and students’ perception
Teaching
undergraduate research
Undergraduate Students
Universities
Workloads
Saudi Arabia
Oman
Kuwait
Bahrain
Qatar
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Summary:Undergraduate research (UGR) is a valuable experience that can potentially enhance the quality of graduates, and raise awareness of the importance of research and its impact on career development. These outcomes, however, depend on the environment under which students conduct research. The present study assessed the staff and students’ perspective of UGR in an intensive teaching setting at the college of Medicine and Health Sciences (COMHS), Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Oman. We assessed the perception of supervisors (n = 90) and students (n = 314) of UGR and factors that hinder the research experience. Satisfaction towards UGR among supervisors and students was good (mean = 72.4 ± 13.0) and moderate (mean = 57.8 ±14.2), respectively. The students reported a good satisfaction towards the relevance of UGR (mean = 71.34 ± 20.0), the research skills acquired (63.43 ± 18.9), and interaction with research supervisors (68.47 ± 23.5). Female students were more positive towards UGR than males. The students’ grade in the UGR module was the only independent factor influencing their satisfaction. Similar to the students, supervisors were highly satisfied with the relevance of UGR (mean = 84.4% ± 20.7), the module structure (mean = 73.3 ± 14.6), workload (mean = 73.3 ± 14.6) and the students’ performance (71.8% ± 18). However, supervisors were less positive about the students’ acquired skills (mean = 69.0% ±12.8) and available logistics to support UGR (mean = 67.8% ± 16.3). In summary, supervisors and students in COMHS, Oman, (SQU) regard UGR as valuable and recognize its relevance. Supervisors were more likely than students to report a lack of resources to run UGR. Thus, resources should be maintained to inspire supervisors and sustain an active research environment to inspire students.
ISSN:2227-7102
2227-7102
DOI:10.3390/educsci13040346