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Objectives To evaluate the impact a novel education programme - to improve research engagement, awareness, understanding and confidence - had on a diverse health and social care workforce. Barriers and facilitators to engagement were explored together with research capacity-building opportunities and ways to embed a research culture. The programme is entitled ‘Supporting The Advancement of Research Skills’ (STARS programme); the paper reports findings from a health and social care setting in England, UK. Methods A four-level outcome framework guided the approach to evaluation and was further informed by key principles of research capacity development and relevant theory. Quantitative data were collected from learners before and after engagement; these were analysed descriptively. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted with learners and analysed thematically. A purposive sample was achieved to include a diversity in age, gender, health and social care profession, and level of attendance (regular attendees, moderate attendees and non-attenders). Results The evaluation spanned 18 half-day workshops and 11 seminars delivered by expert educators. 165 (2% of total staff at Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT)) staffs booked one or more education sessions; 128 (77%) including Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), psychologists, nursing and midwifery, and social workers attended one or more session. Key themes of engagement with teaching sessions, relevance and impact of training and promoting a research active environment were identified with relevant sub-themes. Positive impacts of training were described in terms of research confidence, intentions, career planning and application of research skills as a direct result of training. Lack of dedicated time for research engagement, work pressures and time commitments required for the programme were key barriers. Facilitators that facilitated engagement are also described. Conclusions Findings demonstrate the impact that a free, virtual and high-quality research education programme had at individual and organisational levels. The programme is the product of a successful collaboration between health and social care and academic organisations; this provides a useful framework for others to adapt and adopt. Key barriers to attendance and engagement spoke to system-wide challenges that an education programme could not address in the short-term. Potential solutions are discussed in relation to protecting staff time, achieving management buy-in, recognising research champions, and having a clear communication strategy.

Background Medical degree programs use scholarly activities to support development of basic research skills, critical evaluation of medical information and promotion of medical research. The University of Sydney Doctor of Medicine Program includes a compulsory research project. Medical student projects are supervised by academic staff and affiliates, including biomedical science researchers and clinician-academics. This study investigated research supervisors’ observations of the barriers to and enablers of successful medical student research projects. Methods Research supervisors ( n  = 130) completed an anonymous, online survey after the completion of the research project. Survey questions targeted the research supervisors’ perceptions of barriers to successful completion of projects and sources of support for their supervision of the student project. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics and using manifest content analysis. Further quantitative investigation was made by cross-tabulation according to prior research supervision experience. Results Research supervisors reported that students needed both generic skills (75%) and research-based skills (71%) to successfully complete the project. The major barrier to successful research projects was the lack of protected time for research activities (61%). The assessment schedule with compulsory progress milestones enabled project completion (75%), and improved scientific presentation (90%) and writing (93%) skills. Supervisors requested further support for their students for statistics (75%), scientific writing (51%), and funding for projects (52%). Prior research supervision experience influenced the responses. Compared to novice supervisors, highly experienced supervisors were significantly more likely to want students to be allocated dedicated time for the project ( P  < 0.01) and reported higher rates of access to expert assistance in scientific writing, preparing ethics applications and research methodology. Novice supervisors reported higher rates of unexpected project delays and data acquisition problems ( P  < 0.05). Co-supervision was favoured by experienced supervisors but rejected by novice supervisors. Conclusions Both generic and research-related skills were important for medical student research project success. Overall, protected research time, financial and other academic support were identified as factors that would improve the research project program. Prior research supervision experience influences perceptions of program barriers and enablers. These findings will inform future support needs for projects and research supervisor training for the research supervision role.

A well-prepared public health workforce is essential for reducing disease burdens and improving population health, necessitating an education that addresses global and complex challenges. This paper explores the integration of the Relational Employability Framework in public health education as a tool to foster critical reflection and cultivate global citizenship among students and graduates. Global citizenship encompasses the social, political, environmental and economic actions of globally conscious individuals and communities, recognising that individuals operate within diverse local and global networks. Relational employability expands traditional notions of graduate employability, incorporating not only foundational career development and human interactions but also connections with more-than-human elements, including ecologies, technologies and materials. Our research, conducted at Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia, involved two case studies using qualitative interviews. Case Study 1, drawn from the Cook’s doctoral research, explored student experiences with the Relational Employability Framework within an undergraduate capstone unit. Case Study 2, a school-funded project, gathered graduate perspectives to inform ongoing curriculum development. The findings indicate that the Relational Employability Framework can help support the development of global citizenship through critical reflective practice, as students reported improved ability to engage with diverse perspectives and societal challenges, and graduates highlighted the framework’s role in supporting ethical, evidence-based practice in professional contexts. Additionally, the framework supported the development of a reflective mindset, which graduates said helped them make informed, value-based career decisions, thus advancing their professional growth. This study suggests that adopting a relational employability approach can prepare globally competent and reflective public health professionals and recommends its implementation across health and higher education.

The idea of making learning enjoyable using games, GBL, encourages students to think out of the box, work with others and oversee individual learning. This paper investigates GBL by explaining its theoretical framework and explaining the advantages while putting into perspective the practice issues such as lack of sufficient resources and hostility towards change. This segment provides evidence of two educational games that were adapted digitally. The Circular Economy game which is an offshoot of the Quadruple Helix Concept project allows students to use games and artificial intelligence to test business sustainability ideas. The Fiftyville Investigation on the other hand exposes the students to a world of mysteries and helps them perform better in research as well as analysis and teamwork within a virtual space. These games are effective in stimulating GBL, the bridging of concepts and the application of knowledge, as well as the development of strong and deep learning which caters to students' diverse needs. And although there are obstacles, their use exemplifies the great potential of new strategies in promoting vibrant and comprehensive learning environments and training students to deal with complex problems of the world.

Background This research sought to determine the impact of explicit program-based development of skills associated with research and Evidence Based Practice (EBP) on the attitudes and sustained behaviours of graduates subsequently employed in clinics. Systematic reviews have shown that university teaching of EBP and research skills rarely result in transfer of commensurate attitudes and sustained behaviours of students to their subsequent studies or to employment. Studies have therefore called for detailed exploration of what may enable this transfer of knowledge and skills to attitudes and behaviours. In keeping with these calls, this paper presents a fine-grained qualitative study of graduates’ research skills and EBP in clinics with particular reference to pertinent attitudes, values and behaviours sustained, or further developed, one year after program completion. Methods The study revolved around employed graduates of a Bachelor of Oral Health (BOH) program, which used the Research Skill Development (RSD) framework to structure the explicit, coherent and cyclic development of the skills associated with research in multiple semesters of the degree. One year after their completion of the BOH program, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine employed graduates, three from each of three consecutive cohorts, to gain their professional perspectives on their research skills and EBP developed at university and then used in clinics. While the pre-determined interview questions focused on employed graduates’ knowledge and skills, the attitudes and values around research skills and EBP emerged spontaneously. Results Graduates that were interviewed relayed in detail their attitudes and values associated with research skills and EBP when asked about their work in clinics, even though the affective elements were not specifically elicited. In the employment context, the positive affective aspects of the skills associated with research and EBP that graduates discussed were pronounced, and this contrasted with working graduates retrospective view of university research skills and EBP. Conclusions The richness of affective interaction with patients was a factor that enabled the interviewed graduates to transfer university knowledge and skills into attitudes and behaviours associated with EBP. We recommend similar fine-grained qualitative research to further develop constructs that enable quantification of the interplay of cognitive and affective facets in researching and EBP.

Active learning can improve student engagement and learning outcomes by encouraging students to use higher order thinking skills. One strategy is involving students in research during their undergraduate studies where students are given the opportunity to design, implement, analyse and present a scientific research experiment under the guidance of an academic mentor. This study evaluates the role the student-mentor relationship played in the value of the research project for both students and mentors in a level II plant science course. Survey data collected between 2015 and 2017 showed that the majority (80% in 2017) of students agreed that the research project was a valuable part of the course. In addition, students found the interaction with their mentor was important. Communication between student and mentor was seen as very important with 90% of the student cohort indicating that they agreed or strongly agreed that communication was important to the research project. The vast majority of mentors (over 75%) were able to see the value to students of the research project. The majority of mentors felt it was easy to communicate with their student group and that students were responsive to their suggestions. This study has shown that preparing both students and mentors for participation in an authentic research project has positive impacts on student engagement. [Author abstract]

This study aims to evaluate the effect of the interaction between crowdsourcing style and cognitive style on the development of research and scientific thinking skills among postgraduate students at Alexandria University, by designing an e-learning environment. The current research used an experimental approach with a quasi-experimental design. The research sample consisted of a random sample of 80 postgraduate students who were specializing in mathematics, educational technology, and other areas at the Faculty of Education. The measurement tools consisted of an achievement test, the observation card, cognitive style scale, and scientific thinking scale. Data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA analysis of variance. The results showed that there was a significant difference between crowdsourcing patterns (collaborative/competitive) in favor of the collaborative pattern. There was a significant difference between cognitive style (focusing/scanning) in favor of students who adopted the focusing style. There was a significant effect on the interaction between crowdsourcing patterns and cognitive style for each of the cognitive aspects of research skills in global databases through the e-learning environment based on the crowdsourcing pattern, the observation card of students’ performance of those skills, and their scientific thinking. The researchers recommend benefiting from the results of the current research in the design of e-learning environments based on crowdsourced (competitive/collaborative) in general, and crowdsourced collaborative in particular because of their impact on the development of achievement, practical performance, and scientific thinking.

Purpose – Within the conversation about insider/outsider positioning, little has been written about qualitative research when the researcher is also a participant. This paper describes a unique situation in which co-researchers (doctoral interns) were also interviewees, inhabiting dual roles within a single study. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential benefits of this experience for the professional development of new qualitative researchers. Design/methodology/approach – Reflections of the two co-researchers (doctoral interns) – taken from journals, memos, and team debriefing meetings – are analyzed thematically thematically by the lead researcher. Data extracts are used to illustrate key themes and illuminate cross-cultural comparisons. Findings – The paper presents three core themes relating to vulnerability, and disclosure. The interns’ participant/researcher experience sensitized them to the experience of those whose stories they sought to represent, suggesting that participation may offer a valuable means for developing research skills, just as the experience of personal therapy can help to develop clinical skills in the new therapist. Practical implications – Despite the limited scope of this paper (i.e. the experience of two doctoral interns), findings suggest that the direct experience of non-dichotomized identity may be a useful way for a new researcher to appreciate the importance of relinquishing role, distance, and presumed authority within a post-modern framework of mutuality and co-construction. Originality/value – In addition to the uniqueness of this experience of inhabiting dual roles within the research process, the interns’ different cultural backgrounds – and their different responses – suggests that cultural notions of position, authority, and relationship need to be taken into account in the professional development of new qualitative researchers.

In 2011, students in Agricultural Sciences and Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Adelaide were first provided with opportunities to develop research skills in plant biology through the course Foundations in Plant Science II. Students worked in small groups and completed an open-ended research project under the guidance of an academic mentor. Each group of students were given the freedom to plan and manage an experiment; collect, analyse and interpret data independently and to present their results both orally and in writing. Students reported that the group project was a positive experience where they were able to develop skills in scientific report writing. In 2012, students were challenged by aspects of the research project including experimental design and identifying published papers to support their hypotheses. In 2013, when more support and structure was provided using on-line and in-class tutorials, students were better able to work in groups, source appropriate literature and analyse data using statistics as their confidence in research and questioning ideas had improved. [Author abstract, ed]

This Practice Report offers a strategic approach to making research and learning skills explicit within the curriculum of first-year core units, by enabling a systematic process of pedagogical conversations between teaching faculty, learning skills advisers and librarians. It reports on a collaborative project between staff of Monash Library and academic staff of the faculties of Business and Economics and Information Technology. It offers tools and protocols for the review and renewal of curricular and co-curricular practice within a partnership model, informed by the Research Skills Development (RSD) Framework. It takes into account teaching and learning approaches, intervention and support strategies, assessment and feedback mechanisms. It also responds to emerging trends in higher education delivery such as blended learning and the flipped classroom model. [Author abstract]