Funding and Lecturer’s Research Effectiveness in Public Universities in Uganda: A Case of Kyambogo University

George Wilson Kasule; Moses Kanaabi; Philip Owino

doi:10.2022/ajest.v7i3.893

George Wilson Kasule Kyambogo University, Uganda
Moses Kanaabi Kyambogo University, Uganda
Philip Owino Kyambogo University, Uganda

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2022/ajest.v7i3.893

Keywords: Research, Funding, Lecturer, Effectiveness, Public Universities, Uganda

Abstract

Adequate research funding is vital for generating and disseminating knowledge, skills and orientations that are critical to sustainable development. This study employed a cross-sectional survey method to examine the effect of funding on lecturers’ research effectiveness at Kyambogo University as a case for other Ugandan public universities. The study target population was PhD holding lecturers at Kyambogo University. A sample of 127 was used to collect data using self-administered questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Structural Equation Modelling. Descriptive results reveal that there is moderate level of research funding and moderate research effectiveness at Kyambogo University. Structural Equation Modelling result revealed that research funding is statistically and significantly related to Research effectiveness. It is hereby construed that when the lecturers are availed with adequate funds to conduct research, they are likely to produce quality research outputs worth publishing and presenting in national and international conferences. Since the availability of funding in a university is widely believed to determine the strengths of other capacity correlates, the study thus recommended further investigation into research funding and research effectiveness through mediated relationships by other organisational correlates. Additionally, University education policy makers and managers in Uganda should secure and commit more funds towards the research function in public universities like Kyambogo in a timely manner.

References

Auranena, O., & Nieminen, M. (2010). University research funding and publication performance—An international Comparison. Research Policy 39, 822–834. doi:10.1016/j.respol.2010.03.003

Beerkens, M. (2013). Facts and fads in academic research management: The effect of management practices on research productivity in Australia. Research Policy, 42(9), 1679-1693.

Boateng, F. D., Makin, D. A., Abess, G., & Wu, G. (2019). Speaking out: Officers speaking about police misconduct in Ghana. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles, 92(2), 121–135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032258x18768384.

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches.

Heng, K., Hamid, M., & Khan, A. (2020). Factors influencing academics’ research engagement and productivity: A developing countries perspective. Issues in Educational Research, 30(3), 965–987

Kasozi, A. B. (2017). The Impact of Governance on Research in Ugandan Universities. Makerere Institute of Social Research, MISR Working Paper, NO.32, 60.

Kasule, G. W. (2015). Professional development on innovation competence of teaching staff in Ugandan universities. Wageningen University: Wageningen, ISBN: 978-94-6257-285-0.

Khalil, O. E. M., & Khalil, N. (2019). Business research productivity and barriers. International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management, 26(1), 34–57. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJPQM.2019.096990.

Kumar, R. (2014). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners (3rd ed.). London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Kyaligonza, R. (2015). An Investigative Study of Research Productivity of the Academic Staff in Public Universities in Uganda. Direct Research Journal of Social Science and Educational Studies (DRJSSES), 2(4), 60–68.

Kyambogo University Budget Book FY 2017/18-2020/2021.

Kyambogo University Human Resource Policy (2014).

Mele, C., Pels, J., & Polese, F. (2010). A Brief Review of Systems Theories and Their Managerial Applications. Service Science, 2(1–2), 126–135. https://doi.org/10.1287/serv.2.1_2.126.

Neema, S., & Chandrashekar. L (2021). Research Funding-Why, When, and How? Indian Dermatol Online Journal, 12(1):134-138. doi: 10.4103/idoj.IDOJ_684_20. PMID: 33768035; PMCID: PMC7982031.

Nguyen, Q., Klopper, C., & Smith, C. (2016a). Affordances, barriers, and motivations: engagement in research activity by academics at the research-oriented university in Vietnam. Open Review of Educational Research, 3(1), 68–84.

Okendo, O. E. (2018). Constraints of research productivity in universities in Tanzania: A case of Mwenge Catholic University, Tanzania. International Journal of Education and Research, 6(3), 201–210.

Pearse, N. (2011). Deciding on the Scale Granularity of Response Categories of Likert type Scales: The Case of a 21‑Point Scale. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods, 9(2), pp159-171.

Putri, R. K., & Sofyandi, H. (2019). Research climate and institutional support in improving performance of scientific publications at private university in Indonesia. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 7(4), 67–71.

Rafi, M., JianMing, Z., & Ahmad, K. (2019). Evaluating the impact of digital library database resources on the productivity of academic research. Information Discovery and Delivery, 47(1), 42–52. https://doi.org/10.1108/IDD-07-2018-0025

Starovoytova, D. (2017b). Research-productivity at engineering-school: Number of publications per faculty-member. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(November), 14–38. Uganda Universities and Tertiary Institutions Act 2001.

Yang, J. C. C. (2017). A Study of Factors Affecting University Professors’ Research Output: Perspectives of Taiwanese Professors. Journal of College Teaching & Learning (TLC), 14(1), 11–20. https://doi.org/10.19030/tlc.v14i1.9968.

Zhang, Q., Clayton, P. A., & Breznitz, S. M. (2019). The Hope Fulfilled? Measuring Research Performance of Universities in the Economic Crisis. International Regional Science Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160017619869788.