Individual-organizational construction of research from the opinions of faculty members

Abstract

Factors affecting the educational and research activities of university faculty members is a particularly interesting and controversial topic that has led to numerous researches. The present study was also conducted in order to analyze the opinion of faculty members about research activities in Mohaghegh Ardabili University. In order to collect the findings using interviews, the opinions of experienced and leading research faculty members were analyzed. the participants were 15 faculty members of different fields in three groups of basic sciences, humanities and technical engineering of Mohaghegh Ardabili University. Therefore, in this research, it was tried to select the studied sample from among the policy makers of the relevant fields of the scientific system, faculty members with group management experience, experts and specialists in the research subject, faculty members' research performance evaluation units, faculty members with management experience at the college and university level. , because these people, as cases rich in information and experiences, provide the best background for in-depth studies. The use of a specific method of data analysis in this approach led to the construction of a basic theme called "individual-social structure of research" based on which the proposed model is designed to describe the factors affecting the research activities of faculty members. The formation of research activities was investigated and analyzed under the influence of five general factors of personal and professional skills, academic conditions, facilitating strategies, organization-oriented structures and extra-organizational structures. Each of these factors as the main theme also included sub-themes. By reviewing the themes, among the main themes obtained, "individual-organizational construction of research" was identified as the central idea and related to other themes. Although individual factors are at the disposal of researchers and they are trying to increase their personal and professional characteristics such as learning skills, performing job duties and increasing scientific literacy in order to conduct research, but until the organizational factors that are in It is not within their scope to facilitate research, one cannot expect scientific and research growth and development.