Determinants of attitude of postgraduate students towards research

Abstract

Research is an essential component of postgraduate education as it develops critical thinking, analytical ability, and scientific reasoning. Students’ engagement in research is strongly influenced by their attitude toward research, which is shaped by various personal, academic, and psychological factors. The present study aimed to measure the attitude of postgraduate students toward research and to analyse its determinants. Ex-post facto research design was used. A sample of 60 postgraduate students from B.A. College of Agriculture was selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected through personal interviews and analysed using SPSS. Linear regression analysis indicated that the independent variables together explained 67.90 per cent of the variation in students’ attitudes toward research (R² = 0.679). Step-down regression analysis identified achievement motivation, innovativeness, and number of family members as significant determinants. The findings suggest that students with higher achievement motivation and greater innovativeness tend to develop more favourable attitudes toward research. The study highlights the importance of psychological factors in shaping research orientation among postgraduate students.