Research Approaches for Higher Education Students: A Personal Experience

Conducting research can present a range of challenges for students because of the complex skills and knowledge required to have critical engagement with the entire research process. This paper looks at what was involved in shaping the research journey that I am currently undertaking at a Higher Education Institution (HEI). The focus is on research methodologies. The purpose of this paper is two-fold: (1) to describe the study's data-collection methods and the theoretical concepts that motivated the selection of the said methods; and (2) to relate how the research methodology is related to my personal experience. The paper employs the work of experts in qualitative and quantitative approaches, along with related literature as resource for the content material. This piece of work is considered relevant because Higher Education (HE) students are undertaking similar research projects and can therefore benefit from it by taking into account the knowledge and skills that I have gained. The paper emphasises the link between academic theory and professional practice especially in the case of action researchers. The paper ends with a reflection on lessons learned and how these have informed my work as a practitioner researcher. [For the complete Volume 14, Number 1 proceedings, see ED568088.]