DefinePK

Abstract

Background: Undergraduate students often encounter significant difficulties during their research journey, which may impact the quality and completion of their projects. These challenges are typically rooted in limited scientific training, restricted research exposure, and institutional barriers. Previous literature has mostly addressed postgraduate-level complications, with limited data available on the undergraduate experience, particularly in developing countries. Understanding the nature and extent of these obstacles is essential to improve academic research support systems and foster a more research-oriented mindset at the undergraduate level.
Objective: To explore the challenges faced by undergraduate physiotherapy students during their final-year research projects.
Methods: A qualitative research design was employed. A total of 11 final-year undergraduate physiotherapy students from medical colleges in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan were selected through purposive non-probability sampling. In-depth, semi-structured one-on-one interviews were conducted after informed consent. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using NVIVO software. Thematic content analysis was performed, and recurring patterns were grouped into themes and subthemes based on the coding process.
Results: Thematic analysis generated 5 core themes and 7 subthemes. Major themes included course content, supervisor interaction, research methodology, tools and scales, and data collection. Subthemes included insufficient theoretical content (reported by 8 out of 11 students), difficulty in learning SPSS (reported by 5 students), supervisor-imposed topics (4 students), unclear methodological understanding (7 students), challenges in interpreting tools and scales (6 students), data collection problems (8 students), and delays due to permissions from institutions (9 students). On average, permission-related delays ranged from 5 to 21 days.
Conclusion: Undergraduate physiotherapy students face multifactorial challenges during their research projects, particularly regarding inadequate training, lack of statistical skill development, methodological uncertainty, and institutional barriers. Strengthening research curricula and improving supervisory support can enhance the undergraduate research experience.