Research student insight
Naasirah Abdullah Teo
Naasirah is researching a PhD under the supervision of Dr Seth Chaiklin and Dr Eva Vass from the Department of Education.
She has always been intrigued by what motivates young adults in their academic study, and this has led her to conducting her own research project: Analysing adolescents’ relations to academic study: An investigation of motive hierarchy.
Research findings
Naasirah’s research has allowed her to look inside the lives of young adults and explore what academic study means to them.
“My work does not sit in the traditional line of psychology, so I am able to offer a different perspective to analyse and understand young people and their relation to academic study in the context of everyday life activities.”
So far Naasirah has found that there is no linear relation between environmental factors or the individual person and their performance in academic study.
“ Claiming that young adults’ motivation to their academic study is related to their socio-economic background for instance, can be myopic. Similarly, holding the individual person solely as the means to studying their motivation to academic study too is a truncation of the person from the wider societal practices they are actively participating in.”
Studying for a PhD
While conducting her research Naasirah has benefited from some additional development courses offered through the University.
“ The Postgraduate Skills Training has been excellent, and is delivered by some insightful instructors. I have also received great support from the Foreign Language Centre which has helped me improve my English and learn other languages. ”
Alongside her studies, Naasirah has also found the time to volunteer as a SORTED trainer. This has enabled her to deliver training sessions to other students on campus, helping them develop new skills and enhance their own employment prospects.
Looking ahead, Naarirah is planning to continue with her research and is hoping to include more perspectives of young people’s lives within her study.
Further information
If you would like to find out more about Naasirah’s research then you can contact her by email: s.n.n.abdullah@bath.ac.uk
