Attitudes toward research and teaching at some Nigerian Agricultural University institutions

Abstract

The attitudes of faculty members from four universities toward teaching, research and the associated reward system were studied through questionnaires. The survey generated 302 responses (i.e. 76.8% response rate) from two agricultural universities as well as two faculties of agriculture. Principal component analysis shows that attitudes toward teaching and research are multifaceted. Faculty members believe that teaching and research are mutually supportive, and represent the basic mission of the universities; the reward system influences teaching staff's participation in research, while both teaching and research offer satisfaction. Teaching and research are incompatible but have a positive affect on teaching. However, t-test analyses show that the faculty differ in the strength of their attitudes due to institutional affiliations and personal characteristics (such as gender, tenure, and rank).