Research capacity

Teachers Colleges lack a clear policy for allocating time for lecturers to conduct research. While the Ministry of Education (MOE) encourages a strong research culture, lecturers' timetables don't specifically accommodate these activities. Individual colleges are attempting to schedule three hours per week for research, but this is often inadequate due to the demands of research and lecturers' limited skill sets and self-efficacy in this area.

Since 2019, the MOE has created Research Officer positions within Teachers Colleges to drive research initiatives. To support this, the Ministry allocates $2 million JMD annually to each college for research infrastructure.

— UWI provides support for research in the form of research fellows and graduate assistants. In addition they provide funding (hardware, software, study/travel grants, etc)

— A stipulated amount of time (5-6 hrs / week) is given to allow lecturers to publish

— Lecturers are expected to publish yearly in a top-tier journal

— "Publish or Perish"

— The expected output (quota) is dependent on the level of professorship or lecturer.

— Research at UWI is a requirement of all faculty.

— The body of work produced is used as a part of the promotion process to professorship.

— 1 Million per year accessible to each lecturer for researcher

— 495 Million in grant funding in one year.

— Time for research afforded not established in policy

— Contact hrs consist of:

— Student advisory

— expected research

— Support may be granted for research but a proposal must be presented to IRB and other bureaucratic steps, including defending the proposal to get funding.

— Faculty are currently demotivated to do research due to low salary.

— Staff can apply for time to do research and teach fewer hours.

CMU

The institution has implemented a strategic plan to promote faculty from lecturer to professorship, emphasizing the importance of research and scholarly contributions.

Faculty members are encouraged to create a Google Scholar page, which assists in tracking and notifying the academic on references and citations to their work. This digital footprint is essential for academic recognition and career progression.

The Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) plays a significant role in this journey by offering coaching to improve research competency among its faculty. This support covers various aspects of research, including understanding the differences between qualitative and quantitative methodologies and the process of transforming a research paper into a journal article.

To foster a vibrant research culture, the institution organizes several initiatives. "Lunch and Learn" sessions provide a casual yet informative platform for knowledge sharing, while ideation sessions spark innovative ideas and collaborations. Additionally, writers' retreats offer dedicated time and space for faculty to focus on their writing projects without the distractions of everyday responsibilities.

Recognizing the importance of financial support, there is an acknowledgment that a budget must be allocated to sustain these efforts. This includes costs associated with presentation delivery, such as transportation and hotel accommodation, ensuring that faculty can present their work at conferences and seminars without financial strain.

In an effort to align academic research with industry needs, the institution invites CEOs to discuss the research requirements of their companies. This dialogue ensures that the research conducted is relevant and impactful, addressing real-world challenges.

To facilitate more research time, the institution has proposed reducing the current CONTACT HRS from 15 to 9. This reduction would allow faculty to dedicate more time to research activities, with the expectation that these extra hours would result in tangible outputs like research papers and journal articles.

Finally, the institution emphasizes the importance of reviewing the journal from CMU to maintain high standards and relevance in academic publishing. This comprehensive approach aims to support faculty in their research endeavors and career advancement, ultimately enhancing the institution's academic reputation.

— Research time is voluntary

— School employs a Research officer payed by the Ministry

— Student body is incorporated into the research process

— Research output is a part of the academic's appraisal process.

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— Aggressive when it comes on to research

— Very interested in STEM education

— They are very data-driven

— They publish several journals

— They provide funding for research staff

— FUNDING

— get's $2M from MOE

— only got paid once or twice

— MOE requires a report as to how the funds are used.

— MOE is looking into the allocation of time for research and consultation