Piece by Piece: A Scaffolded Approach to Developing a Research Project for Future Counselors

It is common for clinical mental health counseling students to have little to no desire to conduct research professionally. The goal of this newly implemented research assignment was three-fold: 1) address AI concerns experienced in higher education by eliminating a typical research paper, 2) encourage abstract and hypothetical thought and, 3) mentor students in the development of a research study that suits their area of future career. Students are encouraged to develop a hypothetical research study from start to finish by submitting weekly assignments on their progress, including relevant literature reviews, descriptions of the selected variables and populations, and their proposed methodology. Weekly feedback and group discussion facilitate the development of this proposed hypothetical research study.