Fridas Challenges

Finding the research question: When I was trying to decide on a topic for my bachelor thesis in pedagogy, I struggled a lot with narrowing down the subject. I had an interest for motivational psychology, and initially wanted to explore academic self-efficacy and its relation to motivation. This topic in itself is of course far too general, but I really struggled to figure out exactly how I would approach it and make it “researchable”. Looking back, I realize I wasn’t actually passionate about the topic. I had decided to write about motivational psychology because I did well in an exam on the topic in my first year of studying, and I assumed it was a safe choice for my bachelor’s thesis. The problem was, I hadn’t really considered all the other exciting topics the field of pedagogy has to offer. 

Fridas Strategy

Eventually, it was my supervisor who encouraged me to explore other options. Being well-versed in media pedagogy, he suggested going in a completely different direction and doing an analysis of our university’s digital learning management system (LMS). This turned out to be a real eye-opener for me. Not only did I get a B on my thesis, but exploring this topic really peaked my interest in digitalization. It’s actually one of the reasons why I chose to pursue a master’s degree in science and technology studies!

  • Insel der Forschung
  • Insel der Forschung 2.0.
  • 2024

  • Frida (24) wrote her bachelor's thesis on digital learning management systems and shows the importance of finding an interesting research topic.

  • Fallbeispiel oder Praxisbericht (z.B. Projektbeschreibung) | Studentische Statements
  • Text/Textdokument
  • Englisch
  • CC BY SA (unsere Empfehlung: Namensnennung - Weitergabe unter gleichen Bedingungen)
  • Insel der Forschung (2024). Driven by Curiosity: Choosing Research Topics Based on Interests: Studentische Statements.
  • > 3. Bachelor Semester
  • Pedagogy