From confusion to curiosity: introducing research methods to undergraduate students

This article discusses teaching and learning strategies for research methods courses, which are frequently perceived as challenging, intimidating, and anxiety inducing among higher education students. Although research skills are critical in business and management education for producing graduates capable of evidence-based decision-making and systematic data analysis in a knowledge-driven economy, negative student perceptions often create significant psychological barriers. This reflective paper documents the experiences of educators implementing a human-centred and highly engaging teaching approach to reshape these perceptions. The reflection demonstrates that by linking theoretical concepts to practical, real-world applications such as market trend analysis and customer behaviour and employing reflective teaching practices, students' initial confusion and anxiety can be progressively transformed into curiosity, confidence, and active engagement. Ultimately, this paper proves that a pedagogical shift from purely technical mastery to meaningful learning can successfully build sustainable research competencies among undergraduate students.