This document summarizes a conference paper about the effect of students' research experience in education on their attitude toward research in higher education. The paper discusses how research experience is defined and its importance. It also examines factors that influence research attitude like the institution, supervision, and the researcher. The paper then outlines the objectives, research questions, methodology, and instruments used in the study. Key findings include a significant relationship between factors of research experience and attitude, and differences in experience and attitude between male and female students. The paper concludes that students generally have poor research experiences and unfavorable attitudes, and provides recommendations like improving the research environment and increasing support and opportunities for students.

1. Students’ Research Experience in Education and
Its Effect on Their Research Attitude in Higher
Education
Hina Jalal
PhD Scholar
Department of Education, GCUF
Conference paper for UE, Lahore 2016.
By

2. Research experience in Education
 Zai (2016) stated that “ It can be defined as student overall activities during
research and contribution to research work as researcher”.
 Researches lead to the generation of new knowledge. It is therefore essential
that researches should be given utmost priority. It depends upon a number of
variables related to institution, research involvement, infrastructure,
funding, supervision, and researcher itself. Environmental factors of the
institution help in developing attitude of research among researchers
(Siddiqui & Ahmad, 2015).
 Research experiences of students have an impact on students’ potential in
research work. In education, credibility in researches for excellence liberal
education. Previous studies revealed that experience in extensive array of
benefits in education (Lopatto, 2010).
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

3. Attitude towards research
 According to the Shaukat, Siddiquah, Abiodullah, and Akbar (2014) “The
attitude towards research basically means a detailed study of thinking,
feeling and the person’s behaviour towards research”.
 “An attitude is a psychological latent variable, inferred from observable
responses to stimuli, which is assumed to mediate consistency and co
variation among those variables” Siddiqui, M.A., & Ahmad T. (2015).
 Attitude is more important than experience and academic preparation.
Attitude is a way of thinking and inclining towards optimism and
pessimism which exerts a strong influence on the way a person responds to
a particular situation or thing. Although, most of students at masters level
involve in research but not all of students experience research in Pakistan.
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

4. Research in higher education
• Research is a core element of the development of higher education. The extent to which
higher education institutions are engaged in research and development activities has a
key role in determining the status and the quality of these institutions and the
contribution, which they make to economic and social development.
• Jahangir (2012) mentioned, “Prosperous nations develop research culture.” She further
acclaimed that there is lack of favourable research culture in our education system. In
higher education, positive attitude is an important component to promote research
culture. It influences the students’ performance and tendencies towards research.
• Pakistani Universities are emphasizing on educational research activities in traditional
manners. There are few educational researchers from Pakistan to engage across the
world in collaboration, and with challenging new theories, educational trends and issues
(Khan, 2007).
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

5. Role of HEC for promoting research
 Power of a successful university is principally dependent upon how that institution
creates, manages and utilizes the knowledge.
• Committee For The Development Of Social Sciences And Humanities In Pakistan (CDSSHP),
• Asian Social Sciences Association (ASSA),
• HEC’s thesis writing workshops (2009),
• Pakistan Association for Research in Education (PARE).
 HEC not only devising strategies to raise the standards of higher education but also
promoting research activities in universities all over Pakistan. Due to their untiring
efforts Pakistan has started gaining its credibility among the international academic
community (Abbas, 2011; Lodhi, 2012)).
 There another challenge for HEC to manage activities in Pakistan from first hand research
work leading to international competencies.
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

6. Research Engagement in Education
 As researchers within Pakistan, our engagements in researches are at many
levels. Academic research that speaks directly to other researchers within a
community whose goals may be theoretical, or where knowledge is generated
and shared for its own sake, is hardly nurtured within Pakistan.
 David Leoppato (2010), “Researchers learn tolerance for obstacles faced in
the research process, how knowledge is constructed, independence,
increased self-confidence, and a readiness for more demanding research.
These benefits are an advantage in long term in any career path.
 Students’ experience heavily directed by the role and style of supervision,
facilities, knowledge, interest, infrastructure, involvement in research
procedure, research skill that student have itself, and extended mentoring
relationship arises from their experience with research.
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

7. The current research
 Study of Siddiqui M.A., & Ahmad T., (2015), Faize & Idrees (2014), Shaukat, Siddiquah,
Abiodullah, and Akbar (2014), Oguan Jr, Bernal, & Pinca (2014), Butt & Shams (2013),
Jahangir (2012), Lodhi, 2012, and Akbari & Naqvi (2008) identified the attitudes of students
towards research related to research culture only. These studies are limited to explore the
factors that build research attitudes of students. Research experience of students affect the
dedication level of students towards research.
 Present study is significant to identify the dimensions of students’ research experience that
affect the research attitude in the field of education particularly.
 Present study is also provided an insight look to examine this unique and adequate
phenomenon of attitude towards research beyond the research for the sake of thesis
submission only.
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

8. Research Objectives
 Exploring students’ research experience pursuing in Masters level,
 Understanding the students’ attitude toward research in higher education on the
bases of their experiences,
 Investigating the affect of students experience on their attitude towards research,
and
 Identifying the influential factor from the research experience of students
towards positive attitude in research.
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

9. Research Questions
 What experience students have pursuing educational research at master level?
 What is students’ attitude toward research in higher education on the bases of experience?
 To what extant students research experiences affect the attitude towards research in higher
education?
 What are the factors to build positive attitude towards research from students’ research
experience?
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

10. Research Method
 Objectives of this study support descriptive research design of survey (Butt & Shams,
2013; Oguan Jr et al., 2014).
Sample
 One hundred and thirty- seven students were select from universities in district
Faisalabad. Respondents were those students who experienced the research work in
Masters of education and Masters in Education. They were still enrol in universities for
higher education. This sample comprised on 42 males (30.7%) and 95 female (69.3%).
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

11. Research Instrument
 Attitude Towards Research (ATR)
The scale, was devised by Papanastasiou (2005) and adopted from Papanastasiou &
Schumacker (2014) and alpha coefficient reliability of original scale was calculated
at.948. . This scale was consisted on 30 items to gather the data regarding understanding
the level of students’ attitude towards research.
1. Research Usefulness for Profession (RUFP), 9 items
2. Research anxiety (RA), 7 items,
3. Positive Attitudes toward Research (PATR) 7 items,
4. Relevance to Life (RTL) 4 items, and
5. Research Difficulty (RD) 3 items.
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

12. Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire
Scales (PREQ)
PREQ devised by Australian Council for Education Research (ACER) in 1999. This
study use modified version of PREQ by Trigwell & Dunbar-Goddet (2005). PREQ
Consisted on 39 items with seven factors with α = .968 of original scale.
1. Supervision (5 items),
2. Intellectual Climate (8 items),
3. Skill Development (9 items),
4. General Infrastructure (6 items),
5. Departmental Infrastructure (6 items),
6. Awareness of Assessment (3 items), and
7. Overall Satisfaction (2 items).
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

13. Validity and Reliability
 The face and content validity of both scales verified through experts. After
modification according to the environment, research approaches in institutes,
and research procedures in the field of education.
 Internal consistency of both scale was ensure through Chronbach’s alpha
statistical technique. PREQ at the value of α = .928 and ATR at the value of α =
.867.
 Final instrument was used in this study with 60 item on five point likert scale
(Butt & Shams, 2013; Oguan Jr et al., 2014).
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

14. RESULTSResults
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

15. Relationship between factors of Attitudes Towards Research and Postgraduate
Research Experience Questionnaire
Intellectual
Climate
Skill
Development
General
Infrastructure
Departmental
Infrastructure
Awareness
of
Assessment
Overall
Satisfaction
RUFP RA PATR RTL RD
Supervision .891
*
.655
*
.851
*
.432
*
0.12 .609
*
.266
*
-.506
*
-.387
*
.736
*
.422
*
Intellectual
Climate
.495
*
.964
*
.629
*
.315
*
.423
*
0.061 -.525
*
-.374
*
.937
*
.711
*
Skill
Development
.545
*
.646
*
.556
*
.916
*
.362
*
-.549
*
-.458
*
.219
*
.459
*
General
Infrastructure
.712
*
.348
*
.436
*
0.038 -.578
*
-.394
*
.887
*
.750
*
Departmental
Infrastructure
.884
*
.537
*
.245
*
-.563
*
-.391
*
.517
*
.919
*
Awareness of
Assessment
.528
*
.316
*
-.401
*
-.306
*
.212
*
.798
*
Overall
Satisfaction
.311
*
-.472
*
-.410
*
.195
*
.381
*
RUFP .441
*
.374
*
.253
*
.348
*
RA .768
*
.376
*
.543
*
PATR .236
*
.386
*
RTL .647
*
RD
*p < .01, **p < .001.
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

16. Students research experience and attitude towards
research with respect to gender comparison
Mean SD t p
Research Experience
Male 2.5375 .45274
3.996 . .000
Female 2.3379 .11604
Attitude towards Research
Male 2.2326 .32837
1.393 .019
Female 3.1451 .21520
p < .01
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

17. Factors Sum of Squares Mean Square F (3-133) p
Supervision
Between Groups 30.147 15.073 .670 .002
Within Groups 5380.726 50.287
Total 5410.873
Intellectual Climate
Between Groups 1.164 .582 .757 .001
Within Groups 82.265 .769
Total 83.430
Skill Development
Between Groups 1.096 .548 .482 .010
Within Groups 120.482 1.137
Total 121.578
General Infrastructure
Between Groups .554 .277 .943 .000
Within Groups 31.421 .294
Total 31.975
Departmental
Infrastructure
Between Groups 5.384 2.692 2.358 .000
Within Groups 122.136 1.141
Total 127.519
Awareness Of
Assessment
Between Groups .239 .120 .179 .001
Within Groups 71.483 .668
Total 71.722
Overall
Between Groups 2.260 1.130 .967 .303
Within Groups 124.988 1.168
Total 127.248
Factors of Students’ Research Experience that affect students’
Attitude towards Research
p < .01
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

18. Factors of students’ attitude towards research in
high education
Elements of Attitude towards Research Sum of Squares Mean Square
F
(3, 133)
p
Research Usefulness For
Profession
Between Groups 30.147 1.073
.390 .000
Within Groups 5380.726 1.287
Total 5410.873
Research Anxiety
Between Groups 1.164 4.582
.657 .000
Within Groups 82.265 2.769
Total 83.430
Positive Attitudes Toward
Research
Between Groups 1.096 1.548
.782 .000
Within Groups 120.482 0.137
Total 121.578
Relevance To Life
Between Groups .554 1.277
.443 .000
Within Groups 31.421 1.294
Total 31.975
Research Difficulty
Between Groups 5.384 3.692
.758 .001
Within Groups 122.136 2.141
Total 127.519p < .01
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

19. Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

20. Findings
 There significant and positive strong relationship found between the factors of students’
research experience and attitude towards research (Papanastasiou, 2005; Papanastasiou &
Schumacker, 2014; Yapalak & Ilgaz, 2013).
 This study find out that female (M = 2.5375) and male (M = 2.3379) students are slightly
differ in their mean scores related to their research experience (Oguan Jr et al., 2014).
 Although, female and male students significantly differ on attitude towards research. Female
students have more positive attitude towards research than the male students do. This finding
is more similar to the studies of Butt & Shams (2013), Faize & Idrees (2014), Jahangir (2012)
Khan (2007), Oguan Jr et al. (2014).
 It also reveals that students have low positive attitude towards research on the bases of their
experience in research and higher in negative attitude towards research. Students involved in
research anxiously and found it difficult to conduct. (Siddiqui, M.A. & Ahmad T., 2015;
Iftikhar I. & Yasmeen B., 2014; Faize F. A. & Idrees S.,2014; Butt I. H. & Shams J. A., 2013).
 Another findings of this study also show that factors of students’ research experiences
significantly affect the students’ research attitude in higher education. However the affect size
of different factors was medium (Loppato, 2010).
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

21. Conclusion
As results and discussion of current paper elaborate,
o It is concluded that students’ experience in research in education is poor as
they arrange research work only for the sake of degree completion.
o Findings of this study derived conclusion that they experienced research work
in insufficient general and departmental infrastructure, insufficient
professional supervision, less awareness of oral assessments and less remarks
towards overall satisfaction.
o This unsatisfied situation lead them to build unfavourable attitudes towards
research in high education.
o The attitude of students on the bases of their experience Most of students
considered research less useful, irrelevant, difficult, and anxious on the bases
of their experience.
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

22. Recommendations
 It is necessary to make useful and interesting research environment at masters’
level. At this point students should be encouraged with positive research
attitude. Research training usually begins when a student pursues his
masters’ degree.
 Students should facilitate to practice professional researches in proper
infrastructure as maximum as it can be provided at the masters level.
 Institutional Research forums, funding for students involvement in research,
professional supervisors and online discussion platform should be increased by
the institutes and higher education commission.
 HEC should have to facilitate faculty of education to produce more professional
supervisors to foster an appreciation in the field of education, and develop
favourable attitude towards research. Thereby, students involved in research
with less anxiety and less difficulties to conduct research professionally.
 Students in education must be support to participate in research independently
in open forums. Research writing workshops should be conducted frequently in
the field of education.
 It is also recommended that students in education should be engaged with
faculty for the sake of more rigorous research projects along with research
grants to develop research culture in education.
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

23. Limitations and implication for future
 Present study was limited to the small sample size from the city Faisalabad.
The factors of research experiences of students that affects research attitude
still limited to generalise.
 It is limited also with the lack of supervisors participations on how to enhance
students’ attitudes towards research and explore what barriers are they face
to establish very good experience in research.
 Another limitation is that the scores of present study regarding research
experiences and research attitude are not the baseline results.
 It is suggestion to the future researchers to underpin these particular
limitations to find out more factors and with more demographical areas,
comparison between institutes regarding research experiences to develop
positive students’ attitude towards research.
Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF

24. Hina_Jalal_PhD_Scholar_GCUF