Quasi-Experimental and Crossover Design Methodology to Develop Undergraduate Research Competence

This study reports on the impact of two alternative interventions to increase undergraduate students’ research competence. In one condition students started early in the research-based learning (rbl) approach and later followed a research-led learning (rll) approach. In the second condition students started early in the rll approach and followed an rbl approach later. Research activities in both conditions were linked to a regular university course in social science. Following a 12-week crossover design, the differential impact was studied by looking at actual changes in students’ (1) research competence, (2) research self-efficacy and (3) motivation to do research – before, during and after the intervention. Focus group discussions (fgd s) helped to collect qualitative data at the end of the intervention. Analysis of the results pointed to a significantly higher impact on students’ research competence of studying first in the rbl context. Students starting in the rll condition and experiencing rbl only after the crossover moment also improved, but did not catch up. The qualitative data further underline the stronger positive impact of rbl on students’ research competence.