A Case Study of Social Science and Humanities Undergraduate Research in Bhutan

Abstract

This research investigated the undergraduate research experiences of social science and humanities students at Royal Thimphu College, a private college in Bhutan. For the purpose of this study, the focus was five social science and humanities programmes that each have a year-long research project module. The study used sequential exploratory mixed methods. Data were collected in two phases: first qualitative data were collected followed by a survey informed by the qualitative findings. The findings from the study indicate that final-year research helps students become more independent learners. By the end of the year, most students felt a sense of ownership, confidence, and agency. Although most students felt their prior learning somewhat prepared them to undertake the project, many also found that applying what they learned about research was challenging. Time and workload were found to be common challenges for both faculty and students. Finally, it was found that the relationship between students and their supervisors as well as feelings of ownership varied based on faculty personality as well as the informal programme culture.