Graduate Students' Perceptions toward Research Strategies

Abstract

Graduate students are required to take research classes as part of the required courses for a completion of graduate degrees. This study investigates how these students view research classes particularly and what their perspectives toward research generally. The study used a mixed methods research design, a survey and an interview, in order to increase validity and reliability.

The study findings indicated that both groups had similar perceptions toward the concepts of research, challenges of the research process, the need to the instructor's support and feedback, the need to practice research process in reality. Based on the data analysis results, both groups of graduate students, who took research classes and those who did not, significantly differ in their implemented strategies of research due to previous studies and approximately share the same general perceptions toward the research process.