Institutional Factors Associated with Faculty Participation in Research and Publication: A Case of Universities in Arusha City, Tanzania

Baraka Manjale Ngussa^1,

¹Senior Lecturer of Curriculum and Teaching, University of Arusha, Tanzania

Cite this paper:
Baraka Manjale Ngussa. Institutional Factors Associated with Faculty Participation in Research and Publication: A Case of Universities in Arusha City, Tanzania. American Journal of Educational Research. 2018; 6(10):1356-1364. doi: 10.12691/education-6-10-4

Abstract

This study sought to establish factors associated with faculty participation in research and publication. It employed survey design with 97 faculty respondents from four universities. The questionnaire was validated through expert judgment and Cronbach’s Alpha of between 0.74 and 0.91 was established through pilot testing before the start of data collection. The study established that faculty members attend and present papers in research seminars, workshops and conferences. Gender and academic ranking, determined participation rates as males, lecturers and senior lecturers significantly participated more often than their female, Tutorial Assistant and Assistant Lecturer counterparts. The role of senior researchers is limited to encouraging juniors to publish without necessarily coaching them how to do it. Institutional support is non-existent due to lack of awareness of research policies and non-availability of material, moral and financial support. Finally, Institutional support positively influences mentorship and information centre quality. It is therefore recommended that institutional leaderships need to encourage faculty members to engage into book writing projects and editorial activities rather than confining themselves into journal article, book chapters and attendance in research conferences, seminars and workshops. Female educators, Tutorial Assistants and Assistant Lecturers should be empowered to increase rate of participation. Finally, institutional leaderships should create awareness of research policies to faculty members and extend material, moral and financial support to research and publication projects.

Keywords:
faculty participation research publication institutional support mentorship Arusha

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

References:

[1]	Anastatios, T., Cleo, S., Effie, Olivier, P., and George, M. (2013). Institutional Research Management using an Integrated Information System. Elsevier, 73(2013), 518-525.
[2]	Cotrlik, J. W, Bartlett, J. E., Higgins, C. C and Williams, H. A. (2002). Factors Associated with Research Productivity of Agricultural Education Faculty. Journal of Agricultural Education, 43(3), 1-10.
[3]	Inter University Council for East Africa Newsletter Vol. 40, March, 2010, pp. 14 and 15.
[4]	Ngussa B.M, Muneja, M. (2015). Trends in Research Collaboration: Experiences in Tanzanian Institutions of Higher Learning. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 4 (6), 151-157.
[5]	Ngussa, B. M. (2018). Activities Taking Place in the Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education. Journal of Research Information and Implication in Education Newsletter Vol. 1, Issue 2, 2018, 1-12.
[6]	Msolla, P. (2018). Issues in Higher Learning Institutions in Tanzania. Retrieved on 27th April, 2018 from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTWBISFP/Resources/0_Prof_Msolla.pdf.
[7]	Tanzania Commission for Universities (2016). List of Higher Learning Institutions in Tanzania. http://www.tcu.go.tz/.
[8]	Makulilo, V. B. (2012). The proliferation of private universities in Tanzania: Quality compromised? Wudpecker Journal of Educational Research, 1(4), 51-66.
[9]	Balu, L. and James, L. (2017). Facilitating Protégé Career Development through Skills of Mentors. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(4), 39-44.
[10]	Starovoytava (2017). Scientific Research, Writing, and Dissemination (Part 2/4): Barriers to Effective-Research, at Engineering-School. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(25), 1-28.
[11]	Cohen L, Manion L, Morrison, K. (2005). Research methods in education (5th Ed). Londo: Routledge Falmer.
[12]	Nawaz, N., Jahanian, A. and Manzoor, S. F (2010). Mentoring Relationships' Facilitators and Inhibitors: A Comparative Study of Public and Private High Schools of Bahawalpur Region. Journal of Education and Practice, 3(12), 80-85.
[13]	Ikechukwu, N. and Joy, U. C. (2018). Integrating Mentoring for Capacity Building among Newly Employed Secondary School Teachers in Rivers State. Journal of Education and Practice, 9(5), 80-86.
[14]	Yurtseven, N. and Bademcioglu, M. (2016). Teachers’ Professional Development: A Content Analysis about the Tendencies in Studies. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(6), 214-233.
[15]	Severina, W. N., Edabu, P. and Kimani, C. (2016). Analysis of Influence of Sponsorship Career Function of Mentorship on Women’s Leadership Advancement in Kenyan Universities. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(28), 23-27.
[16]	Mutie, J. M. (2018). Mentoring Researchers: A Nuisance or Development? Journal of Research Information and Implication in Education Newsletter Vol. 1, Issue 2, 2018, 1-12.
[17]	Mojapelo, M. S. and Dube, L. (2014). Information Access in High School Libraries in Limpopo Province, South Africa. South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science, 30(2), 8-17.
[18]	Dramini, P. N. (2006). Customer care services and strategies in academic libraries in Kwa Zulu-Natal. South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science, 2(2), 119-125.
[19]	Hart, G. and Kleinveldt, L. (2014). The role of an academic library in research: researchers’ perspectives at a South African University of Technology. South African Journal of Libraries and Information Science, 71(3).
[20]	Kamal, M. A., Othman, N. B. (2012). The Role of Library and Media Teachers in Malaysian School Resource Centre. Journal of Education and practice, 3(15), 120-126.
[21]	Aluwunmi, A. O., Durodola, O. D. and Ajayi, C. A. (2016). Students' Perceived Quality of Library Facilities and Services in Nigerian Private Universities Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(5), 41-50.
[22]	Kont, K. and Jantson, S. (2015). Librarians Work-Related Learning and Self Development: Trends in Estonian University Libraries. American Journal of Educational Research, 3, (3), 366-376.
[23]	Zhang, S., Wang, Z., Zhao, X., Zhang, M. (2017). Effects of institutional support on innovation and performance: roles of dysfunctional competition, Industrial Management & Data Systems, 117 (1), 50-67.
[24]	Kumwenda, S. et al (2017). Challenges facing young African scientists in their research careers: A qualitative exploratory study. Malawi Medical Journal, 29(1), 1-4.
[25]	Opoku-Asare, N. A., Agbenatoe, W. G., and deGraft-Johnson, K G. (2014). Instructional Strategies, Institutional Support and Student Achievement in General Knowledge in Art: Implications for Visual Arts Education in Ghana. Journal of education and Practice, 5(21), 121-134.
[26]	Mugenda, O. M., Mugenda, A. G. (2003). Research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Nairobi: ACTS Press.
[27]	Koul, L. (1997). Methodology of educational research (3rd ed.). New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House.
[28]	Ahuja, R. (2003). Research methods. New Delhi: Prem Rawat for Rawat Publications.
[29]	Creswell, J. W. (2008). Educational research: Planning, conducting and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. (3rded.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.