Research skills in upper secondary education and in first year of university

Abstract

The acquisition of research skills is an important goal of secondary education. Still, insights on what learner characteristics stimulate and hamper research skills are lacking. Therefore, this study investigates the relationship between students' research skills (assessed by means of the Leuven Research Skills Test (LRST) and students' gender, educational track, grade, autonomous and controlled motivation. The LRST was administered to 405 11(th) and 12(th) grade students, and to 156 first-year university students in Flanders. Multiple regression analyses reveal a significant relationship of grade and track with students' research skills in upper secondary education. Also in higher education, a significant relationship was found between students' former educational track and their research skills. In both groups, no significant differences were found in research skills based on gender and on students' controlled and autonomous motivation. This study contributes to future research by stressing the importance of curricular characteristics for fostering students' research skills.