Читать книгу Turning Ideas into Research - Barbara Fawcett - Страница 19

Research partnerships and collaborations may also assist new researchers to develop a research reputation or ‘track record’ in a particular field. The domain of academic research provides a useful example of a scaffolded approach with higher research degree students working under the supervision of a principal investigator or supervisor. In this situation, students have made a deliberate decision to enrol in a postgraduate research degree to pursue a piece of research and/or to begin a research career. Even within the ‘research nurturing’ context of academia, the challenges in establishing a research track record and attracting research grants are recognized. Terms such as ‘early-career researchers’ and ‘track record relative to opportunity’ are common. The latter term specifically acknowledges that opportunities are hard to come by and may be restricted by occupational and personal commitments over and above the researcher’s ability.

Opportunities for student participation in research can also be integrated into field education, practicums or placements within pre-qualifying and post-qualifying degree programmes. Illustrating a research learning opportunity for a student on placement in an aged care agency, Giles et al. (2010: 151–157) identify the research activities that were integrated into the student placement and the student’s learning goals. These included understanding the policy and legislative context of practice and the service delivery demands of the agency; exploring various service models building on existing knowledge, skills and values; identifying approaches and theoretical frameworks for practice in aged care, critical reflection about their work and place in the research project and the development of research skills including running focus groups; analysing data and presenting research findings. Thus the research task was foundational to student learning on placement and not ‘in addition to’ the practice experience.