Developing a Hypothetical Research Study Through Scaffolding: An Approach Used in a Graduate Clinical Mental Health Counseling Research Course

Conducting research at any level can be daunting, especially for students interested in pursuing helping professions, and have no desire to conduct research professionally. The goal of this redefined research assignment was two-fold: 1) address AI concerns experienced in higher education and, 2) mentor students in the development of a hypothetical research study. Students are encouraged to select participants and variables of interest within the first two weeks of the course. Scaffolded throughout the semester, students submit weekly assignments on their progress, including annotated bibliographies of relevant literature, descriptions of the selected variables and populations, and their proposed methodology: which culminates in a final research poster. Weekly feedback and group discussion facilitates the development of this proposed hypothetical research study.