Unlike other disciplines in the social sciences, there has been relatively little attention paid to the structure of the undergraduate political science curriculum. This article reports the results of a representative survey of 200 political science programs in the United States, examining requirements for quantitative methods, research methods,…

This paper discusses a fieldwork exercise in development geography undertaken by students in the UK. Based on community engagement in partnership with refugee and black minority communities in Liverpool, it explores how such fieldwork can deepen understanding of development geography, contribute to global citizenship and nurture personal skills.…

Enabling children and young people to act as researchers is increasingly viewed as useful in supporting their increased "participation" within settings where they live, work or receive services. This paper reports upon a project conducted by two educational psychologists (EPs) with two primary school class groups, in which the children…

Research and evaluation has become increasingly important in many professions, including educational psychology, particularly as the profession moves to becoming more evidence-based in its practice. The recent move to a three year doctoral programme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland may be viewed as a positive one in developing research…

The traditional "lone scholar" view of an Arts and Humanities doctoral student sits uneasily with the skills-based discourse underpinning policies aimed at enhancing researcher development and employability. This paper reports on a case study of a research training programme for doctoral students in the Arts and Humanities at a UK…

Undergraduate research opportunity programmes (UROP) are common in North America where research has confirmed their benefits. These schemes are gaining ground in the UK, and this article provides evidence for how UK students are benefiting from the experience. Results suggest UROP makes a significant contribution to the research capabilities and…

This article engages, from the point of view of the higher education (HE) department and practitioner, with the realities, and explores the rhetoric, of the "research-teaching nexus" with reference to the role of research and research skills, in the context of the student experience in higher education. The ultimate questions are: How…

With ongoing research assessment in higher education and the introduction of master's-level work in initial teacher education, the growing need for teacher educators to develop research identities is discussed in relation to mentoring and support in two universities. Twelve interviews--with three teacher educators and three research mentors from…

This paper explores the learning spaces associated with two geography undergraduate research journals. Wikis provide dedicated spaces for postgraduate reviewers to collaboratively develop constructive feedback to authors creating a supportive online learning environment. In becoming published authors, undergraduates reported that they gained not…

This paper outlines an approach used in a course designed to teach reflexivity as a research skill and explores what kind of gender intervention such teaching might constitute. Although inspired by feminist debates about the complex power dynamics of research relationships, the course in question does not focus specifically on gender issues.…

This paper analyses three crucial research skills: problem identification, data collection and hypothesis formation. It concludes that science research students should be taught about the creative process as they are under pressures that can inhibit creative thought. They should also be taught the importance of tacit knowledge for learning how to…

The communication of information and ideas is an important and challenging part of any researcher's brief. No matter how learned the argument, if the delivery is muddled or inaudible, the visual aids unclear and the supporting material unavailable then the presentation, and the research, will fail to reach its audience. How much more challenging…

This study reports on the pedagogic rationale, didactic design and implications of an AHRC-funded doctoral training scheme in collaborative and digital multimedia in the humanities. In the second part of this article we discuss three areas of provision that were identified as particularly significant and/or controversial. These include (1) desktop…

This paper explores the implications of the effective integration of research, teaching and learning for academic development through the lens of an international multi-institutional comparison of student perceptions of research and its impact on their learning environment. The study, with a sample of over 500 final-year undergraduate students…

This paper describes an exploratory, qualitative study of the motivational issues associated with project work--a method intended to help encourage independent learning skills. The population studied were United Kingdom secondary school students who attended a state-funded comprehensive school in Derbyshire. The study chose to explore why…