START Approach: Its Acceptability, Mobile App and Future in Biology Education Research

Abstract

Writing a research title is structurally simple, but generating a research topic to write a title remains a practically challenging step. How do we teach students to generate research topics, then? This study introduces an innovative and novel tool in teaching topic formulation known as the START Approach, (See-Think-Aim-Refine-Tell). Employing a multiphase iterative procedure, the paper offers an improved exposition of this approach, subsequently assessing its acceptability among end-users. The collective feedback and perceptions of end-users inform the development of the START Mobile App. After pilot testing, the mobile app was officially launched, with data analysis informing its final feature set. Commencing in 2019, the START Approach was gradually introduced in various educational institutions and was ultimately launched in 2022. It was subsequently incorporated into the training curriculum for high school faculty members. The study's results demonstrated the feasibility and practicality of the START Approach, making it a promising tool for use in high school and undergraduate research courses. The high level of acceptance of the approach's features suggests that it is prepared for implementation in its current state. As a result, sustainability measures for its incorporation into biology instruction were proposed, including integration into science and research curricula, potential collaboration between secondary and higher education, and its ability to counteract the use of AI-generated research topics.