Thinking as Researchers Innovative Research Methodology Content and Methods

Research is a crucial in academic's promotion and knowledge building. But Understanding and practices of research is a dilemma and challenge in the academic domain. Literatures indicated the research methods is not the most enjoyable course for the students to take, nor the most enjoyable course for the teachers to teach, it is nevertheless one of the most important courses in the educational curriculum. The current structure and content of many research methods courses cannot adequately support students to acquire the competencies they need to deal with complex data and new analytical tools. What is more, those involved in the teaching of research methods courses tend to teach the same content for many years, in the same way, despite the changing nature of data (for instance, big data, analytics), and the complexity of the environment. University' teachers often teach the subject based on their individual expertise, gained through graduate training or professional experience. However, the majority of the teachers of the research methods did not acquire formal degrees in the field: some are self-taught, while others acquired the knowledge of the subject either through practice or courses they took during postgraduate education. Incorporating research in the undergraduate curriculum allows students to gain the knowledge and skills to learn the research process, not to conduct it per se, but, rather to use the research to bridge the gap between knowledge and critical decision-making. This book considers the research process as not simply collecting data, evidence, or "facts," then piecing together this preexisting information into a paper. Instead, the research process is about inquiry—asking questions and developing answers through serious critical thinking and thoughtful reflection. Why do students face difficulty in understanding researches? The students’ lacking critical thinking and creativity is widely recognized as the main cause. Considering the critical thinking, a core competency and as a precursor to research . The importance of critical thinking skills in research is therefore huge, without which researchers may even lack the confidence to challenge their own assumptions (Facione, P. A. (2000), Lawson TJ 1995). Teaching should make thinking visible. This concerns the thinking of both the teachers and students . The teacher should model scientific thinking to help students understand how problems are solved, for example, by means of simulations and visualizations (L. Felipe Perrone ( 2014 ). The students should be prompted to report on their ideas, critique and analyze their progress, and reflect on the nature of science (Paul Bambrick-Santoyo (2010 ). Creativity in research provides concrete guidance on developing creativity for anyone doing or mentoring research. By focusing attention on how research happens as well as its outputs, you can increase your ability to address research challenges and produce the outputs you care about. ( Halpern, D. F. (2001). Why is creativity important in research? Motivated by curiosity on top of a vast knowledge base, creativity allows one to shake up the normal way of thinking and come up with new solutions to a problem. Innovation, on the other hand, is creating something new that has obvious value to others (Paul J Silvia 2012). By practicing critical thinking, students are allowing themselves not only to solve problems, but also come up with new and creative ideas to do so. Critical thinking allows us to analyze these ideas and adjust them accordingly. Critical thinking skills are necessary for students preparing for and/or enrolled in professional programs, especially the ability to evaluate and synthesize information, which are vital for problem-solving. Essentially, critical thinking is learning to think independently and to develop one’s own opinions supported by existing evidence. In learning scenarios that promote and foster problem-solving and critical thinking skills, it is much more difficult for the student to simply adhere to the role of the passive student; rather, this type of learning prompts the student to assume the role of a self-reliant thinker and researcher. Critical Thinking is important for the students . It helps them to think creatively and It keeps them becoming narrow.( Gellin, A. (2003) Researcher Jane Qinjuan Zhang ( 2009) writes that critical thinking enables students to assess their learning styles, strengths and weaknesses, and allows them to take ownership of their education. How does research develop critical thinking? Academic research focuses on the creation of new ideas, perspectives, and arguments. The researcher seeks relevant information in articles, books, and other sources, then develops an informed point of view within this ongoing “conversation” among researchers.( Ku, K. Y. (2009). This book is based on the experiences of the authors working on teaching and supervision of research at both undergraduate and graduate levels. And particularly informed the authors of the challenges facing the students to think as the researchers. Think as researchers is a collective role of the students and the instructors of research methodology), The book aims to critically analyze the concepts of critical thinking and creativity and their role and use in the research to motivate students to think as researchers. To explore the innovative contents and methods of teaching the research methods that promote the students to think as researchers. The book organizes into two sections. Section one of two chapters is for the instructors and section two of one chapter is for the students. Chapter one of section one presents the effective role of critical thinking and creativity on the research . Chapter two explores innovative methods of teaching research that promotes students to thinking as researchers. Syllabus of research methods, that promotes students to think as researchers is provided in chapter three.