Helping students identify a research topic

1
Helping students identify a research topic

• 10 September 2009
• Gherardo Girardi
• London Metropolitan University
• Project funded by the Economics Network

2
Overview

• The problem
• Theoretical framework
• The experiment
• Results from the questionnaire
• Conclusion

3
The problem

• Research Methods is a module taught within the MA
  International Business at London Metropolitan
  University
• It is assessed by means of a research proposal
  followed by a research project
• Students are free to select a topic of their
  choice
• Every semester, a large number of students
  struggle to choose their topic, some quite
  seriously
• What can we do to help them make identify their
  topic?

4
The theoretical problem

• John Sedgwick (my co-lecturer) and I wondered if
  the students needed to better identify their
  motivations for choosing a topic.
• A useful framework is the onion rings model of
  Korthagen and Vasalos in Teachers and Teaching
  Theory and Practice, 2005 (see web page), which
  highlights the importance of being aware of ones
  identity and of having a sense of mission as key
  motivating factors for teachers.
• The literature on intrinsic versus extrinsic
  motivations is relevant

5
The thoretical problem

• Human development theory is of some help in
  identifying ones motivations for choosing a
  certain topic
• Psychoanalytic theory (Freud, Jung)
• Conditioning theory (Pavlov, Skinner)
• Cognitive theory (Piaget)
• Evolutionary theory (Darwin, Bjorklund)
• Contextual theory (Brofenbrenner)
•  

6
The experiment

• I developed an exercise which helps students
  identify a topic by helping them identify their
  motivation(s) for choosing a topic.
• I classified motivations into different
  categories (see physical copy)
• I organized students into groups and distributed
  the exercise.
• Students had to decided which appoach(es) they
  felt were most useful. Group leaders had to
  report their findings in front of the class.
• Individual students filled in a questionnaire.

7
Results from the questionnaire
8
Results from the questionnaire
9
Results from the questionnaire
10
Results from the questionnaire
11
Results from the questionnaire
12
Conclusion

• The exercise I attempted does not appear to be
  described in the literature.
• Results from the questionnaire suggest students
  found the exercise useful.
• Students said they would like to see more
  examples of each motivational approach.