Research-teaching nexus in business education among public universities in Ghana

Abstract

The study examined the link between research and the teaching of Business Education in public universities in Ghana. The study focused on the extent to which faculty members integrate research into their teaching in higher education. Using the stratified disproportionate sampling technique and the census method, 367 and 52 Business Education students and faculty members, respectively, were engaged from two public universities in Ghana for the 2018-2019 academic year. Questionnaires and interview protocols were used for data collection. The questionnaires were validated through the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) method. The quantitative data were analysed inferentially (i.e one-way repeated measures ANOVA, one-way MANOVA, Chi-square), and descriptively (i.e means, standard deviations, frequencies and percentages), while the qualitative data were analysed thematically using the reflexive analysis. It was found that faculty engage students at the research-led level of research integration into teaching. Students predominantly reported they heard lecturers discuss research during lessons, coupled with reading research papers. Research productivity was found as a significant positive predictor of teaching effectiveness. In addition, the levels of combination of research into teaching significantly differed among the ranks of faculty. Conclusively, the study found that the reconciliation of research into teaching is important in enhancing teaching and students’ learning experiences. It was, therefore, recommended that research culture be embedded in departmental activities. Faculty members are also encouraged to practice research-based teaching. In determining the teaching effectiveness of faculty members, the management of universities are encouraged to incorporate research-teaching integration components.