Building Research Capacity in Higher Education: Exploring Confidence as a Mediator of Contextual Support and Research Interest

<p dir="ltr">Building research capacity in higher education depends significantly on understanding the various contextual support systems that influence and shape students' research interests. This study aims to explore the relationship between these support systems such as univ...

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Main Author: Zubair Ahmad (4345072) (author)
Other Authors: Almaas Sultana (22047875) (author), Nitha Siby (17714355) (author)
Published: 2025
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author Zubair Ahmad (4345072)
author2 Almaas Sultana (22047875)
Nitha Siby (17714355)
author2_role author
author
author_facet Zubair Ahmad (4345072)
Almaas Sultana (22047875)
Nitha Siby (17714355)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Zubair Ahmad (4345072)
Almaas Sultana (22047875)
Nitha Siby (17714355)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-06-30T09:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1007/s10755-025-09823-y
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Building_Research_Capacity_in_Higher_Education_Exploring_Confidence_as_a_Mediator_of_Contextual_Support_and_Research_Interest/30542417
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Education
Curriculum and pedagogy
Education systems
STEM undergraduates
Contextual support
Research interest
Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT)
Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Building Research Capacity in Higher Education: Exploring Confidence as a Mediator of Contextual Support and Research Interest
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <p dir="ltr">Building research capacity in higher education depends significantly on understanding the various contextual support systems that influence and shape students' research interests. This study aims to explore the relationship between these support systems such as universities, tutors, and families and the research interests of STEM undergraduates, particularly concerning their academic confidence. Grounded in the Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT), this study examines how different dimensions of support contribute to a student's interest in research. The paper begins with a thorough literature review of factors affecting research interest in STEM fields, followed by a detailed presentation of the study's conceptual framework. Methodologically, the study is conducted in two stages. The first phase involves developing and validating instruments to measure the relevant constructs. The second phase applies Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS software to test the proposed relationships among these constructs, including a cross-validation process. The results indicate that all constructs are unidimensional, with academic confidence fully mediating the relationship between tutor support and research interest. Additionally, confidence partially mediates the effects of family and university support on research interest. As a result, undergraduate confidence is identified as a crucial mediator that may bridge the gap between contextual support and the research interests of STEM undergraduates.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Innovative Higher Education<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10755-025-09823-y" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10755-025-09823-y</a></p>
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
id Manara2_bb0d1e622daaf422661bf8dbc32a5971
identifier_str_mv 10.1007/s10755-025-09823-y
network_acronym_str Manara2
network_name_str Manara2
oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/30542417
publishDate 2025
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository_id_str
rights_invalid_str_mv CC BY 4.0
spelling Building Research Capacity in Higher Education: Exploring Confidence as a Mediator of Contextual Support and Research InterestZubair Ahmad (4345072)Almaas Sultana (22047875)Nitha Siby (17714355)EducationCurriculum and pedagogyEducation systemsSTEM undergraduatesContextual supportResearch interestSituated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT)Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)<p dir="ltr">Building research capacity in higher education depends significantly on understanding the various contextual support systems that influence and shape students' research interests. This study aims to explore the relationship between these support systems such as universities, tutors, and families and the research interests of STEM undergraduates, particularly concerning their academic confidence. Grounded in the Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT), this study examines how different dimensions of support contribute to a student's interest in research. The paper begins with a thorough literature review of factors affecting research interest in STEM fields, followed by a detailed presentation of the study's conceptual framework. Methodologically, the study is conducted in two stages. The first phase involves developing and validating instruments to measure the relevant constructs. The second phase applies Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using AMOS software to test the proposed relationships among these constructs, including a cross-validation process. The results indicate that all constructs are unidimensional, with academic confidence fully mediating the relationship between tutor support and research interest. Additionally, confidence partially mediates the effects of family and university support on research interest. As a result, undergraduate confidence is identified as a crucial mediator that may bridge the gap between contextual support and the research interests of STEM undergraduates.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Innovative Higher Education<br>License: <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0" target="_blank">https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10755-025-09823-y" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10755-025-09823-y</a></p>2025-06-30T09:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1007/s10755-025-09823-yhttps://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Building_Research_Capacity_in_Higher_Education_Exploring_Confidence_as_a_Mediator_of_Contextual_Support_and_Research_Interest/30542417CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/305424172025-06-30T09:00:00Z
spellingShingle Building Research Capacity in Higher Education: Exploring Confidence as a Mediator of Contextual Support and Research Interest
Zubair Ahmad (4345072)
Education
Curriculum and pedagogy
Education systems
STEM undergraduates
Contextual support
Research interest
Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT)
Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)
status_str publishedVersion
title Building Research Capacity in Higher Education: Exploring Confidence as a Mediator of Contextual Support and Research Interest
title_full Building Research Capacity in Higher Education: Exploring Confidence as a Mediator of Contextual Support and Research Interest
title_fullStr Building Research Capacity in Higher Education: Exploring Confidence as a Mediator of Contextual Support and Research Interest
title_full_unstemmed Building Research Capacity in Higher Education: Exploring Confidence as a Mediator of Contextual Support and Research Interest
title_short Building Research Capacity in Higher Education: Exploring Confidence as a Mediator of Contextual Support and Research Interest
title_sort Building Research Capacity in Higher Education: Exploring Confidence as a Mediator of Contextual Support and Research Interest
topic Education
Curriculum and pedagogy
Education systems
STEM undergraduates
Contextual support
Research interest
Situated Expectancy-Value Theory (SEVT)
Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)