Integrating academic support to develop undergraduate research in Dental Technology: A case study in a South African University of Technology

ABSTRACT

This paper explores students’ experiences of academic support within the teaching of undergraduate research. Although the literature on undergraduate teaching documents the value of this support, few studies have assessed this area of work within the teaching and learning of undergraduate research in a South African context. This is considered significant within the field of academic development in view of indications from the South African Council on Higher Education that the curricula contain key transitions for which students are differently prepared. A qualitative research design and a case study methodology were used. Lee’s conceptual framework on research supervision was used to analyse students’ reflective reports and interview feedback. The main findings of this study revealed that academic support in the teaching of undergraduate research enabled students to progressively manage, question and analyse their research. Potentially, the integration of academic support into the teaching-research nexus supports graduate attributes.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic support
• undergraduate research
• integrated teaching
• dental technology
• higher education