The Research-teaching Nexus in an Autonomous Institution: A Case Study of Post Graduate Students’ Awareness, Experiences and Perceptions of Research

Abstract

Research in higher education is an integral aspect of the teaching-learning process, particularly Post Graduate (PG). One of the important indexes, which are used to evaluate the progress of any nation, is its progress in Research and Development (R and D). The vast improvements in Science and Technology and its impact on human life are mainly due to sustained research and innovation. Technical education is not exception to this. Hitherto IITs, NITs, IISc and other government R and D organizations were active in research, but now it has percolated to all the technical institutions. One reason attributed to this is an increase in number of PhDs required and produced per year in the country. In this context, to meet the ever-increasing demand for PhDs in the country, there is a need to inculcate a sense of ‘research culture’ among the students, particularly PG. This paper is an attempt to understand the influence of faculty research on the students’ learning outcomes and how it motivates them to take up research in their future career. The study has been carried out at the authors’ institution, which is an autonomous institution. A standard questionnaire survey has been carried out among all the PG students of the institution and the results of the findings are presented, with some suggestions for strengthening the research-teaching nexus.