Developing Capacity for Research and Teaching in Higher Education: A Case of Makerere University

Abstract

Research and teaching are key pillars in higher education. This article examines the factors associated with the current faculty research and teaching agenda at Makerere University (MU) and explores the realities of ongoing capacity building for faculty in research and teaching. This research was guided by the following questions: What motivates faculty to engage in research and teaching? What contextual factors surround research and teaching capacity of faculty? What strategies are used to enhance the capacity of faculty in research and teaching? We utilized the Motivation System Theory (MST) as a lens to enable us better understand faculty' engagement in research and teaching. The study used mixed methods involving both quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative methods involved the use of a self-administered survey executed to the faculty. The qualitative methods involved in-depth interviews, gathering of faculty personal CVs and relevant documents from the MU website. To analyze and interpret qualitative data we used comparative approach to establish themes arising from the qualitative responses and portions of the questionnaire across the respondents. The key findings of this study revealed that the faculty of science-related disciplines were more productive (in terms of research, consulting work, completing PhDs) compared to their counterparts in the humanities. Furthermore, most of the faculty members perceived inadequate funding, heavy workloads, and poor motivation as being the major constraints to their research efforts and teaching. It was concluded that there was need to build a sustainable local capacity of faculty in terms of research and teaching.