Undergraduate Student Research Experiences: A Call for ICT-Aided Supervision

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue V, May 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

Undergraduate Student Research Experiences: A Call for ICT-Aided Supervision

Efiritha Chauraya, Annah Moyo

Department of Gender Studies, Midlands State University, Zimbabwe

Abstract- This paper makes an analysis of undergraduate students’ experiences of their research supervision at a state university in Zimbabwe. Undergraduate students’ research supervision experiences during their studies varied, mostly dichotomously. While some students experienced rewarding and gratifying experiences, others, however, underwent frustration, constringent and stressful experiences. Faculties did not show any significant variations, but mode of entry did. Most visiting/block students recorded more negative than positive experiences about their supervisory process. The study concludes with suggestions to reduce student vulnerability and enhancement of the quality of the supervision process. Key suggestions included that: faculties set up research project monitoring focal persons, supervisors be trained in research supervision, and also that both supervisors and students be trained in ICT.
Key words: undergraduate student, supervisory relations, supervision, experiences, supervisor.
“If by any chance, I grow up to find myself supervising student research projects, I know what irritates a student most” (Chimanga, undergraduate Accounting student).

I. INTRODUCTION

The findings reported in this paper are based on a study at one of Zimbabwe’s major state universities. Research at this institution is at the core of all academic programmes. According to the regulations of the particular institution, all undergraduate degrees require that a student completes a project or dissertation within his/her programme of study (University Yearbook 2011-2014:114). At the studied institution, like at any other state university in Zimbabwe, successful completion of a degree programme entails a research project, continuous assessment and examination. However, studies reveal that students face a variety of challenges during their research process [5]. Although a plethora of factors have been advanced in relation to the phenomena of challenges faced by students carrying out their research projects, most researchers concur that working relations between supervisor and student are indeed the greatest thing accountable for the research experiences that the student eventual undergoes during his/her journey of research supervision [13] By student research experiences in this study, is meant what the students actually went out to do, what they were expected to do, challenges they encountered and their coping mechanisms.

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