Purpose for the research component in the undergraduate program

            The importance of undergraduate research experience cannot be exaggerated.  Review of scholars’ articles suggests about close interrelation and incorporation of the both teaching and research dimensions into university curricula. Once the research is being considered as the part of vision of university, the undergraduate programs had been changed worldwide. Very close integration of learning, research and teaching is the main principle of research universities. Nevertheless there are also advocates of the inquiry approach to undergraduate education which argue that it should be ‘mainstreamed’ to all students, not only in the research-intensive institutions. In other words, preparation for research is relevant not only to a minority of students who are going to pursue research career, but all undergraduate students can benefit from a greater emphasis on inquiry and research in the ‘mainstream’ university curriculum by obtaining research skills.

           Wilson et al. (2012) in their study, aimed to understand the underpinnings of research component in undergraduate program from academics’ perspectives revealed six common purposes of incorporating research component into the undergraduate program, which are: 1) retention or selection, when students are testing their suitability for research beforehand; 2) research exposure, when the program provide students with motivation and enhanced desire to research; 3) advanced learning or de facto streaming, when students are equipping with the more advanced knowledge; 4) developing research skills, as means to equip students with the so-called generic skills; 5) to make student to think like a researcher,  i.e. to make student to understand the research process, needed not only for research career, but also to solve small real problems; 6) entry into the research culture, to give opportunity to be in touch with academic community. The one purpose listed above, namely development research skills, is that purpose which important to all student regardless their future career plans. These skills include analytical and logic thinking, written and oral presentation on ideas, team working etc.  

    

        To sum up discussion about purpose of the research component within the undergraduate program, the acquisition of certain changeable skills is not the goal by itself for graduates as universities’ product. Since these most desired skills like creativity and personal development are in many respects similar to those needed to become an effective researcher, the inclusion of research-focused components into undergraduate programs provides an opportunity for universities not only to improve the generic skills of their graduates, but also at the same time increasing the integration of research and teaching activities.

References

Wilson, A., Howittc, S., Wilsonb, K., & Robertsa, P. (2012). Academics’ perceptions of the purpose                   of undergraduate research experiences in a research-intensive degree. Studies in Higher                       Education, 37(5), 513-526.