Exploring Active Learning as a Strategy for Teaching Research Methods in a Socioconstructivism Environment

• In Event: Strategies for Teaching Educational Research

Abstract

The central goal of many graduate programs is to teach students to become independent researchers. However, while research methodology courses are often required in most graduate education programs, they focus more on learning about research than providing opportunities for students to actually conduct research. With limited research into effective approaches that prepare graduate students how to be researchers, this study approached the subject by interviewing current and past students from a student-led collaborative research project about their learning experiences and activities. The findings indicate that the project members built their knowledge through social context and interactions with peers and valued their experience as a hands-on approach that fostered active learning.

Authors

• Daisyane Barreto, University of Georgia

• Tonia Dousay, University of Georgia

• Seung Won Park, University of Georgia - Athens

• Szu-Yueh Justine Chien, University of Georgia

• Melissa Gay, University of Georgia

• So Mi Kim, University of Georgia - Athens

• YunJeong(Eunice) Chang, University of Georgia

• Robert C. Branch, University of Georgia