Research experiences of undergraduate students at a comprehensive university

Narrative inquiry was utilized to allow undergraduate students involved in an undergraduate research course to narrate their experiences in their research undertakings under the guidance of their respective mentors. A total of four focus groups representing the Bachelor of Arts and Letters, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Secondary Education, and Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy were interviewed. The present study describes the research experiences of a select group of undergraduate students who had defended their research outputs. The findings reveal that undergraduate students who were under competent, motivating, and supportive research mentors undertook the rigorous research process and experienced various activities and mixed feelings in the following stages: Groping, Developing, and Accomplishing. Only a few teams disseminated their outputs in refereed journals, educational conferences, and/or public poster exhibits. The aim of education, according to Whitehead (1932), is the production of active wisdom (as cited in Elliot, 1996); thus, engaging in research makes one a partner in the creation of knowledge (Shamai & Kfir, 2002). Institutions have been challenged t