Abstract

Research is a core area in the education of designers regardless of the discipline. An abundance of discussions on the importance of learning research skills in design education could be found from the literature. However, previous studies suggested that design students have limited understanding of the value of design research, and this has eventually affected their ability to apply it in the creative process. In other words, more effective pedagogical approach needs to be explored to address the issue. This study investigates whether the application of a critical reflective learning approach (CRLA) improves undergraduate students’ understanding of design research in a Malaysian private university. Using a pre/post-intervention design with sixty-five students, results from paired sample t tests show statistically significant improvements in students’ understanding and application of design research methods across most dimensions. The proposed instructional plan offers a more systematic and effective approach to teaching research methods and helps design students in framing meaningful investigations in their projects at undergraduate level.