STUDENTS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS PARTICIPATION IN SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES

Rositsa Nedeva, PhD

NVNA “N.Y.Vaptzarov”, Varna

E-mail: r.nedeva@nvna.eu

Prof. Dimitar Stavrev, MD, DSc

Department of Disaster Medicine and Marine Medicine Medical University - Varna

E-mail: dgstavrev@abv.bg

Abstract

"The future is being forged today." The issue of the development of scientific knowledge and the involvement of young scientists in research studies is becoming increasingly relevant (Weldon, Reyna, 2015; Healey, Jenkins 2009; Pearson, Fechter, 1995). The development of science in the field of medicine is important for the preservation of our greatest asset - health. More and more studies around the world (Adebayo, 2022; Huet, I. et al., 2009) are focusing on the involvement of young people in scientific research. The reviewed literature does not provide information on students' attitudes towards participation in scientific research activities. The aim of this article is to present a study conducted among students from six universities aimed at determining their attitudes towards participation in scientific activities. The main group of respondents (90%) are studying medicine, healthcare, nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy. The results provide information on the development of attitudes toward participation in scientific activity among future health workers (Garrison, Ley, 2022) during their studies. The survey included 369 students. The results show a dynamic development of attitudes towards participation in scientific activities at the beginning and end of the training, with 73.7% of graduating students wishing to continue their development in the scientific field. Universities provide opportunities for their students to participate in scientific programs, activities, and conferences, which 46% of respondents take advantage of. The most significant problem is revealed in the answers to the question "Do you have publications in scientific journals?", where 16.8% of the respondents give a positive answer. The conclusions from the study indicate the need to attract young people at the beginning of their studies in the first or second year, as well as to encourage their publishing activity, which gives a perception of completeness of the scientific research process.

Keywords

Scientific Activity, Medicine, Students, Attitudes Toward Participation

REFERENCES

Adebayo, A.Y. (2022). Undergraduate students’ involvement in research: Values, benefits, barriers and recommendations, Annals of Medicine and Surgery vol. 81,104384.
Farhat, K. at all (2025). Correction: Evaluating factors impacting early career physician-scientists’ decisions to continue research careers in the United States of America, BMC Medical Education.
Garrison, H., H., & Ley T., J. (2022). Physician-scientists in the United States at 2020: Trends and concerns, The FASEB Journal, https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202200327.
Healey, M., Jenkins, A., (2009). Developing undergraduate research and inquiry, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/256208546_Developing_Undergraduate_Research_and_Inquiry (available from 01.09.2025).
Huet., I. at all, (2009). Evaluation of Undergraduate Students’ Involvement in Research Projects, The International Journal Of Learning, Issn: 1447-9494, Publisher Site: Http://Www.Learning-Journal.Com.
Jones, B., Reedy, E.J., & Weinberg, B.A. (2014). Age and Scientific Genius, National Bureau of Economic Research 1050, Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w19866/w19866.pdf (available from 01.09.2025).
Kwiek, M., & Szymula, L. (2023). Young male and female scientists: A quantitative exploratory study of the changing demographics of the global scientific workforce, Quantitative Science Studies.
Palmer, T.A., Aubusson, P., & Burke, P. (2017). Why school students choose and reject science: a study of the factors that students consider when selecting subjects, International Journal of Science Education.
Stewart-Williams, S., & Halsey, L. (2001). Men, Women, and STEM: Why the Differences and What Should Be Done, European Journal of Personality.
Weldon, R. B., &Reyna, V. F. (2015). How to Successfully Incorporate Undergraduate Researchers into a Complex Research Program at a Large Institution, The Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education (JUNE), vol.13(3):A192-A197.
Urhahne, D., & Wijnia, L. (2023). Theories of Motivation in Education: an Integrative Framework, Educational Psychology Review, pp.35-45.