Analyzing Research Experiences of Undergraduate Students: Expectations, Performances and Achievements

The main purpose of the current research was to analyze undergraduate students’ research experiences based on their expectations, performances, and achievements.

This research was conducted using the phenomenological method. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview. Based on this method, with the purposeful sampling approach and standard method,34  undergraduate students were selected and interviewed following theoretical saturation.

This research analyzed interviews following the Claizi model and using thematic analysis. After extracting and categorizing the significant items, 22 basic subthemes and 3 main themes (expectations, performance, and achievement) were classified.Results This research analyzed interviews following the Claizi model and using thematic analysis. After extracting and categorizing the significant items, 22 basic subthemes and 3 main themes (expectations, performance, and achievement) were classified.

The results showed that positive experiences of doing research will encourage students to continue the work and express enthusiasm and commitment to carry out accurate and continuous research. To develop students’ research activities, it is essential to provide scientific communication through seminars, scientific gatherings, conferences, and national and international congresses and arrange suitable fields for research activities.