Abstract
Much current debate about undergraduate student research involves a focus on ‘students as partners’ and coconstructors
of knowledge (Healey, Flint & Harrington 2014, 2016). This debate reveals interesting tensions
between student freedom and the role of structuring frameworks. Undergraduate lecturers and research
supervisors might feel we are in a quandary concerning how far we can help manage a balance between
supportive frameworks and the independence that student researchers need to develop. Will the use of the
Research Skill Development (Willison & O’Regan, 2006/2018) framework and other frameworks at every
step of the undergraduate research journey form a constraint, or an essential scaffold? This paper considers
frameworks, scaffolds and the need for freedom and creative co-construction of knowledge to enable
successful undergraduate research within the context of final year research and writing at undergraduate third
year (UK), honours (Australia) or senior/fourth year (US and Canada).
Original language | English |
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Article number | 2 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice |
Volume | 15 |
Issue number | 4 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Nov 2018 |