Determinants of Faculty Orientation toward Research-Oriented Teaching: Evidence from Indian Management Institutions

Abstract

The introduction of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in India has garnered renewed interest and has led to discourses that suggest integration of research into teaching in higher education.  However, the extent to which faculty orientation towards research-oriented teaching in everyday classroom practice continues to remain largely unexplored. The present study attempts to examine the orientation of management faculty towards research-oriented teaching and analyses how demographic and professional variables influence this orientation. Data was collected from 258 faculty members teaching in Indian management institutions using a structured questionnaire consisting of 25 Likert-scale items. The overall reliability of the scale was found to be satisfactory (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.80).

Inferential statistical techniques, including independent sample t-tests and one-way ANOVA, were utilized to evaluate differences in orientation scores across gender, domain area, teaching experience, highest qualification, research publications, and industry experience. The results disclose significant differences based on gender, domain area, teaching experience, and highest qualification, while no significant differences were observed for research publications and industry experience. Female faculty members, early-career teachers, and faculty from HR and Marketing domains displayed comparatively higher orientation toward research-oriented teaching.

The findings from the study evidently state that the emerging role of  pedagogical inclination and institutional environment on research-oriented teaching rather than by traditional indicators of academic or professional achievement. The study accentuates the need for institutions to concentrate on faculty development, pedagogical support, and policy alignment to effectively transform the vision of NEP 2020 into classroom practice.