Research methods anxiety is a prominent aspect of an undergraduate psychology student’s experiences. Papanastasiou & Zembylas (2008) define research methods anxiety as a ‘complex array of emotional reactions’ faced by students when studying research methods. Studies have previously explored this phenomenon within traditional, face-to-face teaching but with more education moving to the distance-learning mode, experiences of research methods anxiety need to be investigated within the online education space too as there are unique differences and challenges compared to traditional face-to-face university. This includes technology barriers, communication challenges, SEND students, limited community and competing responsibilities. Research methods anxiety negatively impacts students’ understanding of research methods and, as it is a fundamental element of psychology degrees and many graduate career paths, it’s crucial that the experience is understood in depth to provide guidance for how research methods anxiety can be addressed. A qualitative design was utilized with online qualitative surveys as the data collection method to gain an insight into the experience, feelings and thoughts of 39 participants. A pilot survey was conducted to ensure the survey questions were clear to the participant population as misunderstanding or misinterpretation can occasionally occur in online surveys. Data analysis was approached from a critical realism perspective with responses analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three superordinate themes were found; ‘Research Methods Anxiety is an Emotional Rollercoaster’, ‘Responsibility to Self-Direct as a DL student’, and ‘Unique Research Methods Anxiety challenges for the DL population’. Implications were explored which aim to reduce RMA amongst DL students: lecturers discussing RM with positive framing to avoid exacerbating RMA, providing opportunities for immediate feedback, supporting neurodiverse students’ specific RM needs and introducing online communities to improve the wellbeing of students and in turn reduce RMA. This research was conducted as an undergraduate dissertation, it’s currently being edited for publication.

Distance learning, research methods, research methods anxiety, academic anxiety, university

Applied Psychology Around the World | Volume 7, Issue 2