Undergraduate Students’ Views on Their Learning of Research Methods and Statistics (RMS) Course: Challenges and Alternative Strategies

Research methods and statistics is a major course of the teacher education programs. The course is vital in preparing undergraduate students real to research activities. A survey to explore undergraduate students’ views of the research methods and statistics course was carried out between August and December 2011. Analysis of data obtained through a self-administered questionnaire indicated that undergraduate students held positive views about the relevance of the course, although they viewed the course as stressful (79%) and difficult (80%). The quantitative research component was ranked the most difficult of the three components in the research methods and statistics course. It recommended that the course should be split into two courses, which are a different course on research methods and another one on statistics as a technique of counteracting stress. The university under study also needs to incorporate modern methods of analysing data in the research methods and statistics course outlines