Research Resource Generation in Higher Education: Practices of a Private Institution

Abstract

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are known to perform not only instructional or classroom-based functions but also in extending its efforts to develop the students into research and extension. Research, nowadays, has gathered so much relevance as it becomes part and one of the highlights of the educational system of the Philippines, let alone of the world. HEIs or colleges and universities in their curricula require students to submit and accomplish their research projects before being conferred with their respective degrees. This is much more of a requirement too in graduate schools. Educational Institutions also encourage and, sometimes, even require their faculty members to be engaged in research and development to contribute in the expansion of the institution. However, research activities and undertakings for an HEI is not without cost and requirements, hence the necessity to generate research resources. The studies and literatures available discuss the importance of research and the relevance of resources in conducting research. The issues and concerns for the lack of funds and the support of the institution towards research undertakings were also emphatically expounded on those literatures, however, there is no specific study yet which is directed as to the practices of and perspectives underlying the generation of resources of a Private Higher Education Institution to support and facilitate its research undertakings.

In carrying out the study, the researcher used as its framework, the ethnomethodological approach. This framework best fits the objective of the study, since ethnomethodology seeks to answers questions through the experiences of the actors, in this case, of the AITE Research Center, in using the methods or ways that they have been observing. The study conducted revolved in analyzing the different practices or methods by which the AITE Research Center generates its funds and in understanding the different perspectives that fueled the practices observed by the Research Center. The purpose of the study also included the development of a model which fits the context of Private Higher Education Institutions in terms of generating research resources. Data were gathered from the AITE Research Center by obtaining pertinent documents like memoranda, minutes of meetings and budget documents. All documents were gathered with the consent of the school management. After gathering the documents were all gathered, they were textually analyzed and thematically presented in the paper with the end in mind of answering the research questions.

The results of the study revealed that the AITE-Research Center’s research resource generation are: (1) allocation of school funds, (2) partnership with other HEIs and NGOs, and (3) application for government grants. In line with these practices, the perspectives that led the school management to allocate funds for the research activities of the AITE Research Center is its belief and realization that research indispensable in the development and learning of its students. Another reason why it is being so practiced is to fill up or cover the deficiency or lack in the funds generated from the other sources of research funds. For partnership with other HEIs and NGOs AITE Research Center is led to push for those because it takes as perspectives the facts that it can lead to collaborative research that can improve the quality and productivity of research. Likewise, these partnerships can also open ties and relationships aside from research-related connections, and it can also lessen the management’s burden by augmenting the school allocation for the Research Center. As for applying for government grants, the AITE Research Center aside from being primarily driven by the fact that it can add up to the funds allocated by the school, hence lessening the school’s burden, also strives to avail those grants, to take advantage of the break fostered by the different agencies in supporting HEIs to level up its quality of education through research, and to also grab the opportunities available from and build relationship with those agencies not only regarding research but about other aspects of higher education, as well. A research resource generation model showing derived organizational strategies was also developed to aid and guide other Research and Development Organizations (RDOs) in gathering resources for their research activities.