A Comparison of Demographic and Research Characteristics of Faculty in a Philippine Private University: Assessing Self-Efficacy, Attitude, and Interest

Abstract

As the country shifts toward institutionalizing research-related activities for both basic and higher education, research productivity (RP) still exhibited low ratings, with most of the universities still developing their own research cultures. To keep up with this shift, the current paper aimed to provide an assessment of the current research characteristics (i.e., research self-efficacy, research attitudes, and research interests) of faculty members in a private university in Bacoor, Cavite. Focusing on a relatively small scale of faculty members (n= 49), the investigation tried to compare the faculty’s demographic profile and research characteristics to further understand the overall university faculty research productivity. The findings revealed that they have an above-average confidence level with their research skills, have a somewhat positive view of research, and are likely to be interested in doing research. The study found no significant differences among the participants' research characteristics when grouped according to their gender and educational attainment using Mann-Whitney U tests and Kruskal-Wallis tests. However, there is a significant difference in the research attitudes among different age groups. Results have provided an objective assessment of the current research characteristics of university faculty members that may inform potential research training programs.