Abstract:
This study was aimed at determining whether a specific research
methodology was dominant within a cohort of master’s level engineering
management students and, if so, whether this preference was directed by
their personal epistemology, rather than the dictates of their research
questions. Secondary data were used to determine the dominant research
approaches. Interviews with a selected sample of students were undertaken
to obtain a more detailed understanding of how personal epistemology
impacts on the students’ methodological approaches to research. It was
found that empirical-analytical approaches account for 72% of all studies
within the student cohort, indicating a strong preference for such
approaches. Furthermore, it was revealed in the interviews that the students
tended to overlook methodological considerations, focussing only on
research design. There was a general lack of self-reflection and awareness of
personal epistemology, despite the latter being an important influence over
the type and topic of the research, its purpose, research design, analytical
techniques, and even the interpretation of results. The rather superficial
approach could result in research designs biased by personal epistemologies
and ill-suited to the research problems. This suggests possible changes to the
teaching of research methodology in order to improve the research practice
of students.
