Motivation For Research Research Articles

Building a resilient educational researcher community

ABSTRACT Supporting the ongoing development of educational researchers can be more challenging than supporting the development of other researchers because they work across the university in different disciplines and centres. This small-scale qualitative study explored the motivation and engagement of educational researchers at a UK university, the support that helped them and their perceived strengths in research skills. Future development hopes and needs were also expressed. The aim was to better understand ourselves (self-identifying educational researchers), individually and collectively, to help us to build an educational research community for future collaborative research projects. Participants demonstrated altruistic motivations as well as those linked to personal fulfilment and professional need. Specific hopes reported included the desire to work with collaborative research groups. The findings can aid educational researchers and their employers to better recognise educational researchers at an institutional level; to understand the needs of this disparate group; to build a sustainable community and to support the design of development opportunities locally, university-wide and externally, through personalised provision and peer support and mentoring. The study also provides a framework for further research.

Bending behaviors of carbon fiber composite honeycomb cores with various in-plane stiffness

Designing curved surfaces with a traditional straight-walled honeycomb is challenging due to its excessive in-plane stiffness, making it prone to fracturing during bending. The research motivation is overcoming the flexibility limitation of conventional straight-wall honeycombs with the new curved-wall design. Moreover, the three-dimensional failure mechanism map based on the theoretical models is expected to contribute to the design of a carbon fiber composite curved-wall honeycomb. This paper outlines the fabrication process using a modified co-curing method. It also includes theoretical models developed to examine the effect of the center angle of curved walls on the honeycomb’s in-plane stiffness and bending behavior. In-plane tensile and three-point bending tests were conducted to verify the theoretical modes. Finite element model was created to study the stress distribution and damage degree. The study is also aimed at examining the load-bearing capacity of sandwich beams with curved-wall honeycomb cores. A three-dimensional failure mechanism map shows how the failure modes of sandwich structures are affected by the center angle of the curved walls. The study offers a new approach to designing carbon fiber composite honeycombs with flexible bending deformation and high load-bearing capacity. These honeycombs could potentially be used in lightweight launch-vehicle shell structures.

Interviews Regarding Practice Scholar Engagement: Practitioners’ Descriptions of Their Research Motivations, Characteristics, Resources, & Outcomes

Abstract Date Presented 03/22/24 Embedding practice scholarship in daily work is challenging for practitioners despite being emphasized in the American Occupational Therapy Assocation’s Vision 2025 and mission statements. This presentation defines and provides strategies used by active practice scholars. Primary Author and Speaker: Sierra Rose Smith Additional Authors and Speakers: Adriana Macdonald Contributing Authors: Patricia Crist, Rebekah Givens, Taylor Stringer

Exploring Collaboration and Individual Research Experience among Ghanaian Academics: A Qualitative Research

Background: This study seeks to understand collaborative and individual research among academics in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Ghana, what that means to them, and the challenges they face. Internal and external research collaboration is seen as the driving force behind teaching and learning in HEIs. In Ghana, both collaborative and individual research comes with power dynamics among academics, yet they also present unique opportunities to enhance their well-being and professional careers. Methods: This study employed a qualitative research approach to gather the experiences, views, and stories of 10 academics from Ghanaian HEIs. The data were analysed using an interpretative phenomenology approach (IPA). This method focused on understanding the lived experiences of the academics to interpret their stories and experiences regarding their involvement in collaborative and individual research, as well as the meanings and challenges. Results: The results positioned individual research ahead of collaborative research. Monetary rewards were the primary motivation for collaborative research regarding grant applications. In contrast, for most academics in Ghana's HEIs, collaboration for research publications was driven by the quest for promotion, recognition, self-actualisation, and respect among colleagues. Conclusion: This study is the first to explore the impacts of collaborative and individual research among Ghanaian academics in HEIs. The results suggest that individual and collaborative research exists among Ghanaian academics in HEIs. However, individual research is driven by monetary gain. In contrast, collaborative research is driven by publications and citation rates, the pursuit of promotion, recognition, self-actualisation, and respect among most academics in Ghana's HEIs. The study highlights the importance of individual and collaborative research in the context of Ghanaian academic workplace well-being. The study recommends a mindset change regarding collaborative research among academics in HEIs in Ghana. This way, the most experienced and elite researchers could share and guide early researchers to bridge the research knowledge gap. Also, leadership roles could be established to ensure effective research collaboration through mentorship and training programs that align with academic career growth. This initiative could foster relationship-building and increase collaboration to reduce the monetary-driven and individualistic mindset.

Matching cities by their climate change measures and blockages profile for mutual-learning.

More and more cities are working on climate resilience by adding climate adaptive measures to their mitigation programs, but choices must be made and barriers must be overcome, as shown by the extensive research in this area, including our own previously conducted exploratory research (Sanders & Oliveira, 2020). The motivation for new follow-up research has been to develop an instrument with which cities can compare each other’s climate programs, to find the right city partner to start a process of joint learning from each other. After studying current research classifying cities' climate adaptive measures, implemented or in planning, most research is into processes to help cities find the right measures, it has been concluded that the level of detail on which this research generally focuses is too detailed to help cities comparing to find their matching city partner. That is why it was ultimately decided to extent our own diagram from the aforementioned exploratory research, which is less abstract, with the aim of providing cities with this improved instrument. It should be noted that given the higher level of detail, we should speak of blockages rather than barriers. The recent results of the H2020 Marie Curie 'SOS Climate Waterfront' study were used to test this improved diagram, as data on climate adaptive measures from six European coastal cities recently became available. A test diagram was then generated for each of these cities and matching has been selected to evaluate the diagram, in order to make a well-functioning instrument available. The final conclusion is that the diagram provides a recognizable matching for the six SOS cities, but that improvement of the diagram is recommended during further use.

Motivation and success factors in radiological research in Germany - results of a survey by the Methodology and Research Working Group of the German Radiological Society.

Investigation of motivation and identification of success factors in radiology research in Germany.Using a German online survey (54 questions, period: 3.5 months), demographic aspects, intrinsic and extrinsic success characteristics, as well as personal and organizational success factors were surveyed based on a career success model. The survey results were reported descriptively. The correlations between success factors and success characteristics were examined using linear, binary-logistic, and multinomial regression models.176 people (164 academically active, 10 not academically active) answered the survey. Most participants (80%, 139/174) worked at a university hospital. 32% had privatdozent or professor as their highest academic title (56/173). The researchers' main motivation was intrinsic interest in research (55%, 89/163), followed by a desire to increase their own career opportunities (25%, 41/163). The following were identified as factors for intrinsic success: i) support from department management (estimate=β=0.26, p<0.001), ii) good work-life balance (β=0.37, p<0.001), and iii) the willingness to pursue science even after reaching the career goal (β=0.16, p<0.016). Relevant factors for extrinsic scientific success were mentoring, protected research time, and activities in professional societies.Researchers in German radiology are mainly intrinsically motivated. Factors known from the literature that determine intrinsic and extrinsic scientific success were confirmed in this study. Knowledge of these factors allows targeted systematic support and could thus increase scientific success in German radiology. · Main motivation for German radiology research is intrinsic interest, followed by career opportunities.. · Factors for intrinsic scientific success are good work-life balance and support by department management.. · Factors for extrinsic scientific success are mentoring, activities in professional societies, and protected research time.. · Wegner F, Heinrichs H, Stahlmann K et al. Motivation and success factors in radiological research in Germany - results of a survey by the Methodology and Research Working Group of the German Radiological Society. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2024; DOI 10.1055/a-2350-0023.

When Charismatic Leadership Loses its Luster: Examining the Interactive Effect of Charismatic Leadership and Abusive Supervision on Follower Prosocial Motivation and Citizenship Behavior

We develop a multilevel framework that examines the simultaneous co-occurrence of charismatic leadership and abusive supervision and how they jointly diminish followers’ prosocial motivation. Furthermore, we tested a mediated moderation model to examine whether followers’ prosocial motivation mediates the link between charismatic leadership and followers’ citizenship behavior under high and low levels of abusive supervision. Results from a field study based upon 296 employees and 44 supervisors in 44 teams across three organizations provided support for the predicted relationships. Charismatic leadership positively influenced followers’ prosocial motivation when abusive supervision was low but not high. Furthermore, followers’ prosocial motivation mediated the link between charismatic leadership and followers’ organizational citizenship behavior when abusive supervision was low but not high. We discuss theoretical implications for abusive supervision's neutralizing effect, identify avenues to advance charismatic leadership and prosocial motivation research, and provide recommendations for practitioners to cultivate an environment that nurtures employees’ prosocial motivation.

Enhancing wireless communication systems through large intelligent surfaces: a performance analysis of LIS-assisted NOMA networks

The integration of large intelligent surfaces (LIS) with non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) networks has emerged as a promising solution to enhance the capacity and coverage of wireless communication systems. In this study, we analyse the performance of a NOMA network with the assistance of LIS. We propose a system model where a base station (BS) equipped with a LIS serves multiple users. The LIS consists of many passive elements that can influence the wireless channel by adjusting the reflection coefficients. We consider a downlink scenario where the BS transmits to multiple users simultaneously using NOMA, and the LIS helps to improve the signal quality and coverage. We additionally evaluate the efficiency of the suggested LIS-assisted NOMA network. In addition, we evaluate the efficiency of the LIS-assisted NOMA network in comparison to conventional NOMA systems that do not utilize LISs. The findings indicate that the LIS has a notable impact on enhancing the system's performance in terms of diversity gain, probability of error, and pairwise error probability (PEP). Moreover, the suggested LIS-assisted NOMA network is shown to be superior to conventional NOMA systems through comparison. These findings offer useful insights into the performance analysis of LIS-assisted NOMA networks. They also serve as inspiration and motivation for future research and development in this new subject, with the potential to revolutionize wireless communication systems.

How bibliometric evaluation makes the academia an ‘Iron Cage’: Evidence from Chinese academics

Abstract In response to the escalating reliance on bibliometrics for research evaluation within Chinese universities, this study delves into the far-reaching impact of this trend. Through comprehensive interviews with 15 academics from research-intensive universities encompassing diverse demographics, including gender, age, academic rank, and knowledge domains, the research sheds light on the consequences of bibliometric evaluation at individual and organizational levels. The findings expose how bibliometric evaluation practices can disrupt scholarly autonomy, undermine self-efficacy, erode motivation for innovative research, and trigger opportunistic behaviors among university academics. These outcomes, akin to the ‘Tragedy of the Commons,’ not only hinder institutional progress but also corrode the fabric of collegiality, and result in the performance paradox. The dominance of administrative logic over academic logic has transformed individual researchers and universities into participants in a system of administrative conformity, altering the essence of academic pursuit. Despite China’s earnest efforts to reform university research evaluation, the Chinese bibliometric evaluation sustains a cycle of self-reinforcement that impedes reform progress, particularly in terms of peer review. It is suggested that adopting a nurturing, nuanced approach to bibliometric evaluation is imperative for maintaining a harmonious academic ecosystem and fostering genuine societal advancement.

International research collaboration in personalized medicine between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract An analysis of research collaboration in personalized medicine between European and Latin American and Caribbean countries has been conducted in order to identify significant aspects allowing such collaboration. It aims to comprehend strategic issues for establishing research collaborations in personalized medicine between the two regions, as well as the structural factors that facilitate the collaboration. An exhaustive literature review of the subject was the basis for the development of a framework covering several factors that are significant at different stages of the collaboration process. The framework assisted in developing a questionnaire and defining relevant questions for a final survey, which was sent to more than 1,800 corresponding authors of publications resulting from collaborations between European and Latin American and Caribbean researchers. The results point out interesting issues like the profile of the collaboration partners, types of research collaboration, factors and motivations favouring the participation in collaborative research, ways to contact partners, funding sources and tools, main outputs or principal barriers to collaboration. Due to the lack of available information on research collaborations in the field of personalized medicine, this type of analysis is valuable to support science and research policy-making and to evaluate the various actions, initiatives and projects carried out in this scenario. Although our methodology and analysis focused on the field of personalized medicine, the results obtained could be helpful to better understand the reality of international scientific collaborations and support the design of collaborative funding programmes in other fields.

The influence of mentorship and working environments on foreign language teachers’ research motivation in China

Teachers at Higher Education (HE) institutions are expected to do research. However, the level of motivation to engage in research varies with various institutional factors affecting teachers’ research motivation. Previous research has shown the need to better understand these factors to facilitate teachers’ research motivation. This mixed methods study with 536 English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher participants from Chinese universities investigates the relationship between mentorship, working environment and teachers’ research motivation. Our analysis of the questionnaire data using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) shows the significant influence of working environments on teachers’ research motivation. Qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and diaries were thematically analysed to reveal that the examined factors have different impacts on teachers’ research motivation on the basis of different university types. Both mentorship and working environments had an influence on teachers’ research motivation. Teachers from “Project 985” and “Project 211” universities had a more supportive working environment than those teachers at ordinary/regular universities who appeared to have insufficient mentorship, poor working environments, inadequate time support, and deficient opportunities to attend academic conferences that affected these teachers’ research motivation negatively. The implications of our study are that university administrators and policymakers could develop practical mentorship programmes with effective assessment measurements of the mentoring process and stipulate relevant policies to provide conducive working environments, especially for teachers from ordinary/regular universities, to enhance teachers’ research motivation and improve their research productivity.

Doctoral students’ research motivation and outcomes in China: training environment moderation

Doctoral students’ research motivation and outcomes in China: training environment moderation

Parents’ effects on Chinese students’ digital entrepreneurship motivation on live streaming platforms: regional perspective using multi-group analysis

Purpose This paper aims to explore the effects of parents’ support factors on Chinese university students’ digital entrepreneurship motivation on live streaming platforms. Based on the Social support theory, this study divides influencing factors into emotional, instrumental, informational and appraisal aspects. Meanwhile, considering the impact of China’s regional differences, the paper refers to the Regional difference theory and performs a multi-group analysis to assess the differences based on Chinese university students’ regional backgrounds. Design/methodology/approach By testing 556 samples based on the partial least squares path modelling and variance-based structural equation modelling, all support factors parents provide can stimulate Chinese university students’ digital entrepreneurship motivation. Findings Based on the multi-group comparison, parents’ informational support exerts a more substantial influence on the digital entrepreneurship motivation for university students from central and east regions rather than those from the western region, and parents’ instrumental support exerts a lower influence on digital entrepreneurship motivation for east university students than for west university students. Originality/value This paper applies the Social support theory as a theoretical framework to divide the impact factors, and it uses the Regional difference theory as a guide for the multi-group analysis of correlations, which is significant for online entrepreneurial motivation research and a better understanding of student groups. In addition to testing the hypotheses, the study also measures the importance–performance map analysis to explore additional findings of influencing factors and discuss managerial implications.

The Role of Discipline and Work Motivation in Determining Employee Performance

Motivation is among the elements that can help achieve peak performance. Managers use work discipline as a technique to talk to staff members and get their cooperation in changing their conduct. It also raises knowledge of corporate policies and social norms and encourages people to follow them. The purpose of this thesis is to ascertain and examine how work discipline and motivation affect the output of PT employees. Auto Technology Indonesia. Researchers used a convenience sampling technique, this technique determines the sample based on all employees of PT. Auto Teknologi Indonesia Motivation research results have a major impact on PT Auto Teknologi employees' performance. At PT Auto Teknologi Indonesia, the results of discipline tests have a big impact on employee performance. The outcomes of evaluating Work Discipline and Motivation at the same time have a major impact on Employee Performance. Managerial implications: Giving regular awards or recognition to employees who demonstrate good performance can increase their motivation. Carrying out routine monitoring and performance evaluations to ensure employees comply with established disciplinary standards.

Impact properties of an end of life tires’ rubber. Numerical validation considering large strain and strain rate conditions

The objective of the authors is to demonstrate that the inclusion of renewed rubber from recycled end of life tires (ELT) can improve the performance of any structural system designed to dissipate impact energy. An interesting application would be its use in road safety barriers. This research starts with the rigorous characterization of the recycled material in order to include it in a viable numerical model. The authors presented, in a previous work (*), the experimental viscoelastic properties of recycled rubber, obtained under impact conditions. Bergström–Boyce (BB) nonlinear viscoelastic model was selected as the most suitable to fit the material behavior. This model is defined by nine material constants that are impossible to obtain, uniquely and directly, considering that only compression test results are available as input data. To overcome this challenge, optimization methods were applied resulting in as many sets of parameters as used optimization methods were considered and, moreover, remarkable differences between constants were observed. Solving this problem is the motivation of the present research: the validation of the optimization method by mean of the numerical evaluation of the obtained sets. The software considered for the numerical evaluation of impact tests (LS-DYNA®) had two slightly different implementations for the BB model: the original, based on the work published in 2009 by Dal & Kaliske and a more recent one implemented by Bergström, based on his works published in 1998 and 2000. This leads to a new question: which is the most appropriate implementation-optimization method for calibrating this material? This paper provides the answer to this question carrying out a complete comparative numerical analysis of all sets by means of explicit dynamics simulations. All calibrations, using the original LS-DYNA® implementation, were in perfect agreement with the experimental results. However, only one optimization method produced acceptable results for the most recent approach. A robust method to characterize recycled rubber from recycled tires using the Bergström–Boyce nonlinear viscoelastic model is presented, despite the experimental limitations (González-Vega et al. 2022).

Examining research motivation, self-efficacy, and anxiety in TEFL graduate students: a structural equation modelling approach

ABSTRACT Applied linguistics has recently seen a surge in research and methodological approaches to do stronger studies. One important factor affecting such a new movement is the researchers’ individual differences in shaping their research repertoire. Therefore, this study, which employs a path-analytic approach, investigates the interrelationship between three significant individual factors in the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) context: research self-efficacy, anxiety, and motivation. This nationwide survey included 561 male and female Iranian MA students studying TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language). The researchers administered three adopted instruments, namely the research motivation scale, the research anxiety scale, and the research self-efficacy scale. The path-analytic findings revealed such interrelationships among the three factors. In particular, the findings indicated that there is a negative relationship between research anxiety and motivation to conduct research. In our study, however, the relationship between research self-efficacy and motivation is positive. These evidence-based findings can help policymakers shape an evidence-based research policy. Recommendations and implications of the results for policymakers, research methodologists, research instructors, and MA students are discussed.

RESEARCH ON THE MOTIVATION OF RURAL TOURISTS IN ANHUI PROVINCE FOR RURAL TOURISM

This paper mainly analyzes the development trend of rural tourism in Anhui Province in recent years, so as to study the pull of tourist attractions in Anhui Province on tourists, and for tourists themselves, the external driving force of rural tourism behavior in Anhui Province. From the perspective of the spiritual and cultural value of tourism, tourism is of great significance to cultivate sentiment, soothe mood and cultivate aesthetics. Through some previous literature, it can often be found that tourism motivation research is only a small part of a large category of tourism behavior research, so in-depth study of tourists' motivation, what is the significance of the tourism industry for the entire tourism behavior? This research adopts the research method of quantitative analysis, sets up 34 items, collects questionnaires in Huangshan, Anhui Province, and analyzes the tourism motivation of rural tourists by collecting and analyzing 298 valid questionnaires. The findings suggest that it is necessary to strengthen management, integrate tourism resources, pay attention to the personal safety of tourists and environmental protection of scenic spots, create well-known brands, and take the path of sustainable development in the development of Anhui's tourism industry. Improving the visibility, infrastructure construction, ecological environment protection, and characteristic product development and marketing of "Anhui rural tourism" is one of the major trends in the future development of Anhui's tourism industry.

Gender-specific motivational pathways in ADHD-related inattention and gaming disorder symptoms

Comorbidity between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and gaming disorder (GD) is widely recognized in the literature. Previous research has indicated gender-dependent underlying mechanisms in the development and maintenance of problematic gaming. Motivational research presents an opportunity to provide further insight regarding the nature of this association. Self-report data were collected from videogame players (N = 14,740) using an online survey in collaboration with a popular gaming magazine. The survey included items concerning symptoms of ADHD and GD, motives for gaming, and time spent playing videogames. Structural equation modeling was used to create two parallel mediation models (one for males, one for females), including motives to play games as mediators. This was done to potentially explain psychological drivers of the association between ADHD and GD. Results demonstrated a common pathway from inattention to GD symptom severity through the immersion/escapism motivation for both males (β = 0.068; p < 0.001) and females (β = 0.081; p < 0.05), while the path from inattention to GD symptom severity through the habit/boredom motive (β = 0.094; p < 0.001) and competition motive (β = 0.021; p < 0.001) was only significant for males. Gamers experiencing symptoms of ADHD, especially inattentive symptoms, are at risk of the occurrence of GD symptoms through videogames becoming a source of maladaptive coping with daily psychological disturbances. Males experiencing inattentive symptoms tend to additionally develop problematic patterns of use through videogame playing, becoming a subjectively meaningless and boredom-reduction-oriented habitual activity or a platform of virtual competition. Unique differences suggest the necessity of different treatment approaches for males and females.

Overcoming Barriers to Research Competency: a nationwide mixed-method study on residency training in the field of Korean medicine.

This study aimed to analyze the educational needs of interns and residents in Korean medicine as the first step in developing an education program to improve their research competencies. A mixed-method design, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, was used to investigate the educational needs for research competencies among interns and residents working in Korean medicine hospitals nationwide. Data were collected through online surveys and online focus group discussions (FGDs), and processed using descriptive statistical analysis and thematic analysis. The study results were derived by integrating survey data and FGD outcomes. In total, 209 interns and residents participated in the survey, and 11 individuals participated in two rounds of FGDs. The majority of participants felt a lack of systematic education in research and academic writing in postgraduate medical education and highlighted the need for nationally accessible education due to significant disparities in the educational environment across hospitals and specialties. The primary barrier to learning research and academic writing identified by learners was the lack of knowledge, leading to time constraints. Improving learners' research competencies, relationship building, autonomy, and motivation through a support system was deemed crucial. The study also identified diverse learner types and preferred educational topics, indicating a demand for learner-centered education and coaching. This study provides foundational data for designing and developing a program on education on research competencies for interns and residents in Korean medicine and suggests the need for initiatives to strengthen these competencies.

Russian scientists’ motivation and research performance issue

The paper deals with the problem of uncovering the motivation structure of Russian scientists’ research, assessing the role learning and self-fulfillment motives play in it and the way those motives are connected to their performance indicators. In order to do that, we propose a model of connection between needs and priority motives characteristic for scientists, uncover a hierarchy of research motives and the level of their fulfillment on the job, define a motivational core and explain its factor structure. We used data from an online survey of Russian scientists (N = 551) taken in the second half of 2022 as a database for our study. We have discovered two main motives for doing research: pleasure gained from one’s work and work independence. They are typical for more than a half of scientists. We found that the work independence motive had a substantial impact on performance. We estimated that out of independent variables used for the analysis, the variations in the academic degree, research field and organization type where scientists were employed had the most differentiating effect on the motivation structure. The factor analysis of motives manifesting in research enabled us to find a single factor propped up by learning values per se, unrelated to tangible, pragmatic or prestige concerns. Links to that factor yielded characteristics typical for increased productivity. Our conclusion is that motivation has a chance to remain a reliable element of scientific human capital only when intangible motives clearly dominate tangible ones.