Research Related Professional Development Needs of University Faculty Members: Gender-Based Qualitative Evidence

Abstract

The purpose of the current qualitative study was to explore the research-related professional development needs perspectives of the faculty members of the University of Education Lahore, Pakistan. It was also determined whether the perspectives of male and female teachers were the same. Thirteen regular faculty members (seven male, six female) were selected as study participants from the University of Education Lahore. The purposive sampling technique was used for this purpose. The researcher reviewed the related literature, and a semi-structured interview protocol was developed to interview the faculty members. The data from semi-structured interviews were collected till saturation. All of the interviews were translated into English and verbatim transcribed. The data were analyzed after transcription using thematic analysis. The study's six major themes emerged: article writing and publication, research projects, research tools, research-related software, plagiarism and ethical issues, and research culture. Those, as mentioned earlier, have emerged as major professional learning needs of university teachers. There was no distinct difference between the perspectives of male and female teachers on their research-related PD needs. It is recommended that the university's management should encourage and provide opportunities for its faculty members in research-related professional development. Workshops and training courses need to be organized by the university to assist teachers in improving their academic research skills. To cultivate research, university management should develop a research culture in the university.