Assessing Undergraduates' Research Intentions: A Systematic Review and Empirical Study

Understanding what motivates undergraduates to engage in research is critical for developing future scholars and fostering a research-oriented academic culture. Through a systematic literature review, this study represents the first experimental attempt to assess undergraduates' intentions to engage in research using a combined Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) framework. An empirical study involving 222 participants was conducted using the PLS-SEM technique. The findings indicate that background factors (i.e., social support and previous experiences) have a significant impact on subjective norms, self-efficacy and outcome expectations. These determinants, in turn, are considered to have the most significant impact on the intentions of undergraduates to do research. Overall, this study contributes a theoretical foundation for further research through a comprehensive model, addresses a notable gap in the literature and offers a holistic overview of undergraduates' research intentions worldwide.