The Relationship Between Technological Research Skills and Research Self-Efficacy of Higher Education Students

Abstract

Background: Today, one of the required skills for researchers’ successes is the optimal use of facilities and capabilities of cyberspace. The present study aimed at investigating the relationship between technological research skills and research self-efficacy of higher education students at Bu-Ali Sina University. Methods: The population of this correlational research was all graduate students at Bu-Ali Sina University in the academic year of 2014 to 2015. Using Krejcie and Morgantable and applying stratified sampling, 329 subjects were chosen as participants of the study. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire of technological research skills that was validated by 6 experts and with a reliability coefficient of 0.84, and the questionnaire of research self-efficacy was validated by Salehi et al. with a reliability of 0.84. The technological research skills questionnaire had 33 items and the research self-efficacy had 54 items. To analyze the data, Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient and multiple regression was used with the SPSS 19 software. Results: The findings indicate that the level of technological research skills of the students was 2.71 with P < 0.001, while their research self-efficacy was 3.30 with P < 0.001. Also, the results show that there was a positive significant relationship between technological research skills and research self-efficacy (r = +41.33, P < 0.001). In addition, the components of technological research skills could explain research self-efficacy variances. Conclusions: Technological research skills could improve students’ research functions.