In the Pursuit of Research: Investigating the Difficulties Faced by Aspiring Young Researchers in Bangladesh

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-4847310/v1

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In the Pursuit of Research: Investigating the Difficulties Faced by Aspiring Young Researchers in Bangladesh

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4847310/v1

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This study delves into the challenges and impediments encountered by young Bangladeshi students aspiring to embark on a research journey. Drawing participants from high schools and universities across Bangladesh, this investigation explores the multifaceted hurdles faced by these enthusiastic learners. The findings underscore a landscape rife with challenges, encompassing the scarcity of essential resources, dearth of guidance, information gaps, and formidable financial constraints. A notable revelation surfaces in the form of a substantial proportion of respondents unfamiliar with the process of publishing research articles. These results underscore the pressing need for comprehensive assistance and guidance for the budding research enthusiasts in Bangladesh. Nurturing their passion from an early age is pivotal, contributing to the augmentation of knowledge and the nurturing of the next generation of researchers. This study also underscores the significance of youth engagement in research and presents vital insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers in Bangladesh.

Research in Bangladesh

young students

Bangladesh

barriers and challenges

High school students

Research is the backbone of academic and intellectual advancement, and it plays a crucial role in the development of any country.¹ However, many young students in high schools and universities face numerous barriers and challenges in navigating the world of research.² This exploratory study seeks to identify the barriers and challenges faced by young students in Bangladesh who aspire to conduct research. To achieve this objective, we conducted a study on high school students and university students to understand their perspectives on the challenges they face in pursuing research. In this case, to make the research more fruitful, to make the research better utilized, or usable, this issue can be worked on by getting involved in research from a young age. These facilities will contribute to the advancement of knowledge and the development of the next generation of researchers. Youth engagement in research has gained significant attention in recent years. But here lies the main problem as they often encounter various barriers and challenges.³The study findings indicate that the majority of high school students in Bangladesh find it arduous to start researching with only a few receiving support or guidance from their schools, teachers, or universities. The study also revealed that most of the respondents faced several barriers, including a lack of guidance, resources, and information, as well as financial constraints. Furthermore, a significant number of respondents expressed a lack of knowledge regarding the publication of their research papers.

This paper contributes to the existing literature on the barriers and challenges faced by young students in navigating the world of research, particularly in the context of Bangladesh. The findings of this study have significant implications for policymakers, educators, and researchers in Bangladesh, as they provide insights into how to support and encourage young students to engage in research activities. By identifying the challenges and barriers faced by students, this study aims to promote the development of effective strategies to facilitate the research process for young students and foster a research-friendly environment in Bangladesh.

Research contributes to the overall advancement of human understanding and improves the quality of human life.^3–8 Research shows that the rate of female researchers is lower than that of young male researchers.³ Youth engagement in research has gained significant attention in recent years. But they often encounter various barriers and challenges.³ A key aspect of youth research is giving young people a voice and involving them as active participants in the research process.⁴ However, despite various barriers, students' inclination towards research is increasing day by day from youth. Though its growth is very slow.⁵ Overall, being a young researcher offers numerous benefits, including new perspectives, energy, adaptability, collaboration, skill development, career advancement, and personal growth.^5,6 One author conducted a study of college and high school students to better understand their perspectives on the difficulties they face while doing research(Wells, 1993).¹⁰ The author worked on youth research's pathways, prospects, and a new agenda. The findings of this study will help Bangladeshi policymakers, educators, and researchers how to support and motivate young students to participate in activities.¹¹

Here the author has highlighted many aspects of development in the life of the youth involved. Apart from this, the author has tried to explain the importance of youth research. The author spoke indirectly about the problem faced by the youth who wanted to be involved in the research.

However, according to the situation in Bangladesh, there is no proper guidance on how to overcome this problem. The following steps should be taken to solve the problems faced in youth research – build a strong foundation, choose a topic of choice with utmost importance, stay connected with those who have already done this work, stay updated, stay determined, and maintain morale. Describing them would have made the topic of youth research easier.

The study involved a convenience sample of young students in Bangladesh who were interested in research activities. Participants were recruited through social media platforms and email invitations. The inclusion criteria for the study were: (1) being a Bangladeshi student studying in either high school or university, and (2) expressing an interest in research activities.

The data were collected through an online survey using Google Forms. The survey was designed to gather information on participants' demographic characteristics, research motivations, the impact of a successful role model on their motivation to do research, and perceptions of the value of research for their future goals. The survey consisted of 8 questions in total, including multiple-choice questions, and rating scales. The data was collected between April 3 and April 8. Prior to the survey, the participants were provided with information about the purpose of the study and gave voluntary consent to participate.

Ethical considerations were taken into account during the study. To ensure participant confidentiality and anonymity, participants were informed that their responses would be kept confidential and that their data would only be used for research purposes. The survey was also voluntary and participants were informed that they could withdraw from the study at any time without any negative consequences. An online consent form was required for participating in this study. Other ethical issues (eg, the purpose of the study, participant’s right to decline to participate or withdraw from participation, data confidentiality, etc.) were followed as per the Helsinki Declaration of 2013 as suggested by the World Medical Association.³

The gender distribution of the 467 respondents was fairly balanced with 57.6% being identified as male, while 41.8% were identified as female. 2 preferred not to disclose their gender while only 1 was identified as "other."

The distribution of respondents by academic level in the study was as follows: 59.6% were in grades 11–12, 36.2% were enrolled in undergraduate programs, only 0.6% were in grades 6–8, 5.2% were in grades 9–10, and 1.9% were in Masters or Ph.D. programs.

The majority of the respondents (81.15%) identified themselves as beginners in terms of their research experience. A smaller proportion of respondents (10.06%) identified as level 2 out of 5 on the scale, while 7.49% identified as level 3. Only a very small percentage of respondents (1.07%) identified as level 4, and an even smaller percentage (0.21%) identified as masters in terms of their research experience.

30.4% of respondents rated starting research as "very tough and stressful," for high school students in their country while 30.2% rated it as a "4" on the scale, indicating that it is still quite difficult. On the other hand, only 4.9% of respondents rated the difficulty level as a “1” (very easy and enjoyable), and 6% of respondents rated it as a “2” on the scale.

The majority of responders (76.2%) reported that lack of guidance was a barrier or challenge they faced in pursuing research, while 75.8% reported the lack of a helpful research community as a challenge. Other challenges reported included lack of information (54.2%) and financial problems (45%).

The majority of responders (76.2%) reported that they did not receive any support or guidance from their high school, teachers, or any experiences or interactions with universities or research institutions in pursuing research. Only 13.7% of responders reported receiving such support, while 10.1% were unsure.

When asked about the helpfulness of their parents/teachers in regard to research, the most common response was a rating of 3 (32.1%). 19.7% of responders rated their parents/teachers as very helpful (5), while 15% rated them as not helpful (1).

Regarding knowledge of where to publish a project/paper, only 15.5% of responders reported knowing where to publish, while 16.5% were unsure. The majority of responders (68%) reported not knowing where to publish their project/paper.

The present study aimed to investigate the difficulties faced by high school students in Bangladesh in pursuing research. The results indicate that lack of guidance and a helpful research community were the most frequently reported barriers, with 76.2% and 75.8% of the responders citing these issues, respectively. These findings are consistent with previous research, which has identified similar barriers to research for students in other developing countries.⁴ A young researcher can make a positive impact on himself/herself and the environment around him/her by using pathways and prospects. However, they face many obstacles in this regard. For example, not having enough knowledge, not having support from family or teachers or any experienced person, and financial difficulties. The other obstacles are- insufficient funding opportunities for youth-led research projects, lack of mentorship and guidance from experienced researchers, limited access to research infrastructure and resources, legal restrictions on youth participation in research, especially for minors, limited knowledge of research ethics and protocols among youth researchers, lack of access to specialized and so on.

Additionally, a significant proportion of the responders reported financial problems and lack of information as significant challenges in pursuing research. Some researchers have cited financial constraints and lack of knowledge as major barriers to conducting research by a large section of respondents. Actually, financial constraints may limit access to necessary resources and equipment, while the lack of information could hinder the student's ability to navigate the research process effectively. These challenges may be addressed through government and institutional support, such as grants and scholarships, and access to resources and workshops.

The responders rated the difficulty of starting research as fairly evenly distributed, with 30.4% of responders rating it as very tough and stressful and 30.2% rating it as tough. Interestingly, only 13.7% of the responders reported receiving support or guidance from their high school, teachers, or research institutions. This suggests that there is a significant gap in the provision of support and guidance for high school students interested in pursuing research.

Furthermore, the findings indicate that a significant proportion of the responders (68%) did not know where to publish their research projects or papers, suggesting a lack of awareness and guidance regarding publication avenues. This highlights the importance of providing students with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively disseminate their research findings (Austin 2002b).¹²

Lastly, the responders' perceptions of the helpfulness of their parents and teachers regarding research were mixed, with 32.1% of responders rating them as moderately helpful and 19.7% as very helpful. These results suggest that there may be a need to increase awareness and training for parents and teachers on how to support and guide students in research.

Overall, the present study highlights the need for increased support and guidance for high school students in Bangladesh interested in pursuing research. These findings may inform policy and programmatic efforts to improve the research capacity of high school students, with the goal of promoting innovation and scientific discovery in the country.

Ethical Approval

Ethical issues (eg, the purpose of the study, participant’s right to decline to participate or withdraw from participation, data confidentiality, etc.) were followed as per the Helsinki Declaration of 2013 as suggested by the World Medical Association.¹

Competing interests:

None.

Authors' contributions:

Hassan Jubair: Everything except writing the literature review part and some citations.

Mithela Mehenaz: Writing the literature review part and adding multiple citations throughout the paper., proofreading.

Ethics Statement: This study was approved by the Scientific Review Committee (SRC) for Human Subject Research, chaired by Dr. Nilufa Yeasmin. The research posed minimal risk to participants. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. For participants under 18 years old, both written minor assent and parental permission were secured to ensure ethical compliance. The approval process involved a thorough review of the research plan, including all surveys and questionnaires used.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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In the Pursuit of Research: Investigating the Difficulties Faced by Aspiring Young Researchers in Bangladesh

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