Anxiety in undergraduate research methods courses: Its nature and implications

Elena C. Papanastasiou, Michalinos Zembylas

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The study reported in this article examines the nature of anxiety that undergraduate students experience in a research methods course and explores some of the factors that influence their anxiety levels. Two questionnaires measuring the attitudes towards research and the anxiety level were administered to 472 students enrolled in a research methods course at the University of Cyprus between the fall of 2002 and the spring of 2005. The results showed that students' self-perceptions seemed to influence the level of anxiety in such courses, while the grades that students were expecting to earn did not predict students' anxiety. Another important finding was that students who considered research to be important for their profession had higher levels of anxiety. Finally, the implications of this study are discussed and teaching interventions are suggested to assist students deal with their anxiety.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)155-167
Number of pages13
JournalInternational Journal of Research and Method in Education
Volume31
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2008

Keywords

  • Attitudes
  • Attitudes Toward Research scale (ATR)
  • Research anxiety
  • Research methods

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