Challenges Being Experienced by Undergraduate Students in Conducting Research in open and Distance Learning

The study examined challenges that undergraduate students face in conducting research in Harare and Bulawayo regions of the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU). This has been motivated by the realisation that, a good number of postgraduate students encounter challenges when conducting research. It is therefore imperative that the causes of such challenges be identified and addressed. In our view, the undergraduate level is a fertile ground for such an investigation. The paper makes use of descriptive surveys, focus group discussions and document analysis. Random sampling shall be used for descriptive surveys, while purposive sampling shall be employed for focus group discussions, which shall be conducted in ZOU’s Harare and Bulawayo Regions. Document analysis will entail reviewing undergraduate research projects that are in the university’s regional libraries. Analysis of project markers’ comments will be made.Forty five Bachelor of Education (Educational Management) students filled in the questionnaire. Research data were analysed and interpreted thematically. The study came up with three categories of some of the challenges that undergraduate students in the studied regions of the ZOU experience in their conduct of research. They comprised tutor, student and tutor- related challenges. In connection with tutor-related challenges that were associated with lack of research interest and experience, tutor absence from work and failure to return to work promptly. Critical student-related challenges were lack of money, time, library resources and family problems. All institution-related challenges (lack of internet facilities, lack of research-related courses, lack of library resources, and lack of computer literacy and lack of workshops) negatively impacted on the studied students’ capacities to conduct research.The study drew some conclusions from the findings. First, it concluded that no one set of challenges that research participants experienced in the conduct of their studies wholly impacted on the quality of their research projects. The three categories were mutually exclusive to each other. The study rejected; no tutor interest in students and their topics, leaving no-co-supervisor, too little direction and too little practical help given as challenges underpinning the present respondents’ conduct of research. All the institution-related challenges were on the high side in terms of how they were experienced by undergraduate students who were undertaking research.The study’s major recommendations included the need for the ZOU’s Department of Education to:• Mount regular workshops for research supervision and writing for both tutors and students. • Provide opportunities for tutors and students to carry out collaborative research work.• Supply tutors and students with research guidelines so that they will not abuse and misuse each other.• Motivate tutors and students to present conference papers at local and international conferences. It is in such conferences that tutors and students can polish their research experiences and skills.• Supply tutors and student with research supervision guidelines so that they will not abuse and misuse each other. That way, both parties will be able to know what is expected of them in the supervision of research projects, as well as, their writing of the research reports.