The Moderating Effect of Demographics in the Relationship Between Research Capability and Engagement Among Local Community College Instructors

This study investigated the moderating effect of demographics on the relationship between research capability and engagement among local community college instructors. The research was conducted to gain insights into the factors that influence research capability and engagement among these instructors, which could help local community colleges improve research capability and engagement among their instructors. The study employed a descriptive-correlational research design and used proportionate stratified random sampling to gather data from college instructors across five local community colleges in Misamis Oriental. The demographic variables are age, gender, length of service, highest educational attainment, and number of research. Findings revealed that while many instructors had completed research projects, few had published or presented their work. They showed capability in research skills, with strong competence in concept paper writing, data gathering, and final report writing. They also exhibited high research engagement, but publishing research received lower scores, indicating room for improvement. Moreover, the study found significant differences in research capability and engagement based on age, length of service, and educational attainment. Furthermore, research capability was significant predictor of research engagement. The study also identified time constraints, lack of training, workload, and institutional support as major barriers to research for community college instructors. Findings revealed that there were strong positive correlations between instructors’ research capability and their engagement across diverse research dimensions, highlighting the importance of enhancing research skills to foster greater participation in research activities. Furthermore, age and highest educational attainment moderated the relationship between research capability and engagement. However, sex, length of service, and research-related metrics did not exhibit a moderating effect. These results have important implications for designing effective faculty development programs and fostering research engagement in higher education.