Perception and Attitude Towards Academic Research among Undergraduate Students of Allied Health Sciences
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Background: Research within healthcare education is pivotal for the evolution of evidence-based practice and the enhancement of patient care. Understanding undergraduate attitudes towards academic research is crucial for curriculum development and fostering a culture of inquiry.
Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the perceptions and attitudes towards academic research among undergraduate students of Allied Health Sciences and to explore the implications of these perceptions for human healthcare.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted over six months at the University of Lahore, Islamabad Campus. A sample of 300 students was derived using the Slovin formula, with a 95% confidence interval and a 5% margin of error. Data collection utilized a semi-structured, pretested questionnaire comprising 19 closed-ended questions. The questionnaire assessed students’ perceptions of research and its relevance to their education and professional futures. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25 for descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: Out of 300 participants, 214 (71.3%) acknowledged an awareness of research, with 243 (81%) affirming its utility for professional development and 205 (68.3%) for daily life relevance. However, 195 (65%) perceived research as stressful, and 209 (69.7%) found it complex. Gender distribution showed 82 (27.3%) male and 218 (72.7%) female respondents.
Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of research in healthcare education, indicating a strong student perception of its value for professional growth, despite associated stress and complexity. Educational strategies should emphasize research skills development to prepare competent healthcare professionals ready to engage in lifelong learning and evidence-based practice.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
Turnbull C, Grimmer-Somers K, Kumar S, May E, Law D, Ashworth E. Allied, scientific and complementary health professionals: a new model for Australian allied health. Aust Health Rev. 2009;33(1):27–37.
Lizarondo L, Grimmer-Somers K, Kumar S. A systematic review of the individual determinants of research evidence use in allied health. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2011;4:261–72.
Skinner EH, Williams CM, Haines TP. Embedding research culture and productivity in hospital physiotherapy departments: challenges and opportunities. Aust Health Rev. 2015;39(3):312–4.
Williams C, Miyazaki K, Borkowski D, McKinstry C, Cotchet M, Haines T. Research capacity and culture of the Victorian public health allied health workforce is influenced by key research support staff and location. Aust Health Rev. 2015;39(3):303–11.
Pickstone C, Nancarrow S, Cooke J, Vernon W, Mountain G, Boyce R, et al. Building research capacity in the allied health professions. Evid Policy. 2008;4(1):53–68.
Hulcombe J, Sturgess J, Souvlis T, Fitzgerald C. An approach to building research capacity for health practitioners in a public health environment: an organisational perspective. Aust Health Rev. 2014;38(3):252–8.
Pager S, Holden L, Golenko X. Motivators, enablers, and barriers to building allied health research capacity. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2012;5(53):e9.
Healey M, Jenkins A. Developing undergraduate research and inquiry. York: Higher Education Academy; 2009.
Kuh GD. High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Washington DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities; 2008.
Zimbardi K, Myatt P. Embedding undergraduate research experiences within the curriculum: a cross-disciplinary study of the key characteristics guiding implementation. Stud High Educ. 2014;39:233–50.
Willison J, O'Regan K. Commonly known, commonly not known, totally unknown: a framework for students becoming researchers. High Educ Res Dev. 2007;26(4):393-409.
Brew A, Ginns P. The relationship between engagement in the scholarship of teaching and learning and students' course experiences. Assess Eval High Educ. 2008;33:535-45.
Henegham C, Glasziou P. Evidence-based medicine. In: Dent J, Harden R, editors. A practical guide for medical teachers. London: Elsevier; 2013.
Shuler CF. Comparisons in basic science learning outcomes between students in PBL and traditional dental curricula at the same dental school. In: Bridges S, McGrath C, Whitehill TL, editors. Problem-based learning in clinical education: The next generation. Dordrecht: Springer; 2012.
Murdoch-Eaton D, Drewery S, Elton S, Emerson C, Marshall M, Smith J, et al. What do medical students understand by research and research skills? Identifying research opportunities within undergraduate projects. Med Teach. 2010;32:e152–e160.
Harsha Kumar H, Jayaram S, Kumar GS, Vinita J, Rohit S, Satish M, et al. Perception, practices towards research and predictors of research career among UG Medical Students from Coastal South India: a cross-sectional study. Indian J Commun Med. 2009;34:306–9.
Al-Hilali SM, Al-Kahtani E, Zaman B, Khandekar R, Al-Shahri A, Edward DP. Attitudes of Saudi Arabian undergraduate medical students towards health research. Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2016;16:e68–73.
Chellaiyan VG, Manoharan A, Jasmine M, Liaquathali F. Medical research: perception and barriers to its practice among medical school students of Chennai. J Edu Health Promot. 2019;8:134.
Abushouk AI, Hatata AN, Omran IM, Youniss MM, Elmansy KF, Meawad AG. Attitudes and perceived barriers among medical students towards clinical research: a cross-sectional study in an Egyptian medical school. J Biomed Educ. 2016;2016:5490575.
Anbari Z, Mohammadbeigi A, Jadidi R. Barriers and challenges in researches by Iranian students of medical universities. Perspect Clin Res. 2015;6:98–103.
Meraj L, Gul N; Zubaidazain, Akhter I, Iram F, Khan AS. Perceptions and attitudes towards research amongst medical students at Shifa college of medicine. J Pak Med Assoc. 2016;66:165–89.
Dadipoor S, Ramezankhani A, Aghamolaei T, Safari-Moradabadi A. Barriers to research activities as perceived by medical University students: a cross-sectional study. Avicenna J Med. 2019;9:8–14.
Reynolds HY. In choosing a research health career, mentoring is essential. Lung. 2008;186:1–6.
Siemens DR, Punnen S, Wong J, Kanji N. A survey on the attitudes towards research in medical school. BMC Med Educ. 2010;10:4.
Abdullah A. Barriers to participation in learning management systems in Saudi Arabian universities. Educ Res Int. 2018;9:8–14.
Kumar J, Memon A, Kumar A, Kumari R, Kumar B, Fareed S. Barriers experienced by medical students in conducting research at undergraduate level. Cureus. 2019;11:e4452.
Manhas KP, Page S, Dodd SX, Letourneau N, Ambrose A, Cui X, et al. Parental perspectives on consent for participation in large-scale, non-biological data repositories. Life Sci Soc Policy. 2016;12(1):1-13.
Papanastasiou EC. Factor structure of the “Attitudes Toward Research” scale. Stat Educ Res J. 2005;4(1):16-26.
Papanastasiou EC. Revised-Attitudes Toward Research Scale (R-ATR); a first look at its psychometric properties. J Res Educ. 2014;24(2):146-159.
Sabzwari S, Kauser S, Khuwaja AK. Experiences, attitudes and barriers towards research amongst junior faculty of Pakistani medical universities. BMC Med Educ. 2009;9:1-7.
Siamian H, Mahmoudi R, Habibi F, Latifi M, Zare-Gavgani V. Students’ attitudes towards research at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in 2015. Materia Socio-Medica. 2016;28(6):468.
Spyrou E. Curiosity saves the researcher. Nature Energy. 2021;6(1):6-6.
Walker DA. A confirmatory factor analysis of the attitudes toward research scale. Mult Linear Regress Viewpoints. 2010;36(1):18-27.
Creswell JW. Educational Research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. 3rd ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson; 2008.
Alhaidary A. Attitudes about research among Allied Medical Students enrolled in speech and hearing undergraduate program. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(3):709–14.
Al Ajmi Z, Al Na’abi A, Alrawahi AH, Al Saadoon M, Al Balushi HD, Alhabsi F, et al. Student and Supervisor Perspective on Undergraduate Research in a Teaching-Intensive Setting in Oman. Educ Sci. 2023;13(4):346.
Nielsen-Pincus M, Morse WC, Force JE, Wulfhorst JD. Bridges and barriers to developing and conducting interdisciplinary graduate-student team research. Ecol Soc. 2007.
Kini S, Muthukumar R, Maiya RG, Kiran NU. Attitudes and perceptions towards research among final year medical students in a private medical college of coastal Karnataka: A cross-sectional study. J Health Allied Sci NU. 2017;7(01):007-011.
Arif A, Siddiqui MA, Aziz K, Shahid G, Shiekh A, Fahim MF. Perception towards research among undergraduate physical therapy students. Biom Biostat Int J. 2018;7(3):171-175.
Al-Shalawy FA, Haleem A. Knowledge, attitudes and perceived barriers towards scientific research among undergraduate health sciences students in the Central Province of Saudi Arabia. Educ Med J. 2015;7(1).
Alfehaid LS, Qotineh A, Alsuhebany N, Alharbi S, Almodaimegh H. The perceptions and attitudes of undergraduate healthcare sciences students of feedback: A qualitative study. Health Prof Educ. 2018;4(3):186-197.
El Achi D, Al Hakim L, Makki M, Mokaddem M, Khalil PA, Kaafarani BR, et al. Perception, attitude, practice and barriers towards medical research among undergraduate students. BMC Med Educ. 2020;20:1-11.
Meraj L, Gul N, Zubaidazain IA, Iram F, Khan AS. Perceptions and attitudes towards research amongst medical students at Shifa College of Medicine. JPMA. 2016;66(2):165-9.
AlGhamdi KM, Moussa NA, AlEssa DS, AlOthimeen N, Al-Saud AS. Perceptions, attitudes and practices toward research among senior medical students. Saudi Pharm J. 2014;22(2):113-117.
Alhaidary A. Attitudes about research among Allied Medical Students enrolled in speech and hearing undergraduate program. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(3):709.
Bovijn J, Kajee N, Esterhuizen TM, Van Schalkwyk SC. Research involvement among undergraduate health sciences students: a cross-sectional study. BMC Med Educ. 2017;17(1):1-10.