A Worksheet Method for Developing Research Questions: An Examination of Three Graduate Student Cohorts

In this full paper, we describe a design activity method for developing research questions and present a study on student's perception to validate it. We examine, compare and discuss results from three different graduate student cohorts (first, second, and third semester Master's degree students) who used the worksheet method at different stages of their graduate careers. The method is designed to help students identify topics, think critically about the underlying questions to explore a topic, identify a problem to be addressed by the research, and identify data sources to facilitate the research effort. The four stages are introduced as an incremental scaffolding process. Preliminary results showed graduate students found the worksheets effective in helping to develop research questions. This work contributes to the development of research practices and pedagogy supported by sound research questions.