1. Abstract

1
Embedding Research Skills in thePre-Honours
Undergraduate Geography Curriculum

• Helen Walkington1 Derek France2
• Department of Anthropology and Geography, Oxford
  Brookes University, Headington, Oxford OX3 0BP,
  UK. 2. Department of Geography and Development
  Studies, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4BJ,
  UK, Email hwalkington_at_brookes.ac.uk or
  d.france_at_chester.ac.uk
• In association with Amy L. Griffin, Lisa
  Keys-Mathews, Sandra K. Metoyer, Wendy E. Miller,
  Richard Baker

Case Study 2 Oxford Brookes University Scaffolded
research skills development At Oxford Brookes
University an institutional commitment has been
developed to embed undergraduate research
pathways through all degree programmes (Huggins
et al., 2007). The geography programme includes a
carefully scaffolded progression of activities to
develop research skills incrementally. Year 1
Desktop research to try to answer provided
research questions. Year 2 Students frame their
own questions for team-based data collection in
the field. Student teams present their
preliminary findings to a panel of faculty as a
formative feedback exercise. This precedes the
summative assessment several weeks later in a
conference style event. Year 3, Semester 1 The
individual authoring of journal articles based on
the collected field data is mentored by a tutor,
with the best work being published in GEOverse,
an online journal (Walkington, 2008a 2008b). All
these activities take place before students
complete their dissertations. A departmental
research conference to showcase student research
findings (see Figure 2) is attended by students
from all year groups, helping to create a sense
of identity as geography researchers (McGuinness
Simm, 2003 Walkington Rushton, 2008).
1. Abstract Research skills need to be
developed early in order to adequately prepare
undergraduates for capstone, final project or
dissertation research. This poster considers the
rationale for embedding research and inquiry
skills early in the undergraduate geography
curriculum and for making these skills explicit
to students. It provides two institutional case
studies illustrating research skills development
in the geography curricula. By embedding research
skill development early and frequently,
scaffolding provided throughout a degree
programme can support all geography students as
they become producers of knowledge.
3. Skills Our conceptualisation of research
skills is that they exist along a continuum from
simple to complex. Simpler research skills are
less interdependent whereas complex research
skills are at the interface between three broad
and overlapping skill sets critical thinking
analytical skills and emotional intelligence.
Table 1 identifies the research skills and the
extent to which they are interdependent under
these broad skill sets. For example, the ability
to take on board constructive criticism (point 8
in Table 1) requires emotional intelligence and
critical thinking. In general key research
skills align with the six facets of Willison and
ORegans (2007) Research Skill Development
Framework and the sequence of research skills
mirrors the research process but research skill
acquisition does not have to be linear.
Nevertheless, there is an assumption that all of
the underlying research skills are needed for
autonomous research. Figure 1 illustrates some
of the practical opportunities open to Chester
students to practice and develop researcher skills

• Theoretical framework
• The Boyer Commissions (1998) call for greater
  undergraduate engagement in research has been
  heard by many university systems around the
  world. A body of literature has documented the
  advantages to students of engaging with research
  (McGuinness Simm, 2003 Walkington, 2008a,
  2008b Healey Jenkins, 2009). There is a
  growing recognition that research skills are
  essential for all students because knowing how to
  critically evaluate information and to inquire is
  of increasing importance (Brew, 2006) and
  research skills are required for graduates to
  function effectively in an increasingly complex
  world.

Figure 2 Showcasing student research at Oxford
Brookes University
Figure 1. Chester students participating in
Human Physical Geography research projects.
4. Conclusion Enquiry based learning can help to
draw students into a community of practice, both
within a discipline, within the curriculum and
within the broader university, by providing a
shared experience upon which students can draw
(Garde-Hansen Calvert, 2007). The two case
studies are drawn from a collection (Walkington
et al., in submission) in which the associated
authors have provided best practice examples that
demonstrate the importance of embedding research
experiences in order to scaffold an understanding
of the research process for undergraduates.
Case Study 1 University of Chester
Understanding the research process A key to
successful researcher skills development for
students is an understanding of the. The Enquiry
and Research Design module scaffolds this
understanding for students so that they arrive at
the final year dissertation as well prepared as
possible. Year 2 term 1 Students work in small
self-selecting groups on projects to develop
research objectives and collect primary data (see
Figure 1) on a range of topics. This is supported
through fieldwork and weekly methodological
workshops or laboratory sessions. Students submit
an individual 2,000 word report, which
demonstrates their understanding of the
underpinning research philosophies and
methodologies through the analysis of primary
data. Year 2 term 2 Students work individually
with tutors on pre-defined or self-directed
research topics. A literature review is used to
generate research questions. Regular small group
tutorials provide students with a mechanism to
share and get feedback on their ideas and
findings through annotated bibliographies and
informal discussions. Finally, students submit a
2,000 word research proposal for a hypothetical
dissertation topic, identifying specific research
aims, activities, ethical considerations, health
and safety issues and a research question with
associated literature. A key to successful
researcher skills development for students is an
understanding of the research process, from
thinking critically about research questions to
taking a research proposal forward to a
dissertation project
5. References Brew, A. (2006) Research and
teaching beyond the divide (London Palgrave
Macmillan). Garde-Hansen, J. Calvert, B. (2007)
Developing a research culture in the
undergraduate curriculum, Active Learning in
Higher Education, 8(2), pp. 105-116. Healey, M.
Jenkins, A. (2009) Developing undergraduate
research and inquiry. Available at
http//www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/
resources/publications/DevelopingUndergraduate_Fin
al.pdf Huggins, R., Jenkins, A. Scurry, D.
(2007) Developing undergraduate research at
Oxford Brookes University. Recommendations and
models for future development. Available at
http//www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/resear
ch/cetl/ugresearch/developing_ug_research_at_brook
es.pdf Knight, P., Yorke, M. (2004) Learning,
curriculum and employability in higher education
(London Routledge). McGuinness, M. Simm, D.
(2003) Linking teaching and research through
departmental research conferences for student
project work, Planet, Special Edition 5, pp.
21-24. Walkington, H. (2008a) Geoverse piloting
a National e-journal of undergraduate research in
Geography, PLANET, 20, pp. 41-46. Walkington, H.
(2008b) Quality enhancement of the student
experience through undergraduate research
opportunities - the impact of undergraduate
research journals. Available at
http//www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/events
/conference/Ann_conf_2008_Helen_Walkington Walking
otn, H., Griffin, A. L., Keys-Mathews, L.,
Metoyer, S.K., Miller, W.E., Baker, R., and
France, D. (in submission) Embedding
research-based learning and inquiry in the
undergraduate geography curriculum. Journal of
Geography in Higher Education. Walkington, H.,
Jenkins, A. (2008). Embedding undergraduate
research publication in the student learning
experience Ten suggested strategies, Brookes
E-journal of learning and Teaching, 2(3),
http//bejlt.brookes.ac.uk/article/embedding_under
graduate_research_publication_in_the_student_learn
ing_experi/ Walkington, H. Rushton, E. (2008)
Undergraduate research conference. A first for
the department of Anthropology and Geography,
Teaching News, 2(2), pp. 11-12. Willison, J.
ORegan, K. (2007) Commonly known, commonly not
known, totally unknown a framework for students
becoming researchers, Higher Education Research
and Development, 26(4), pp. 393-409.
Table 1 Groupings of undergraduate research
skills.
Council on Undergraduate Research. International
perspectives on undergraduate research and
inquiry a scholarly discussion. Pre-ISSOTL
Seminar, Liverpool, UK, 19 October 2010