Attitudes Toward Research, Facilitating Resources and Participation in Research of Nursing Instructors in Boromarajonani Colleges of Nursing, Lower Northern Region of Thailand

Abstract

Objectives: This descriptive study aimed to examine 1) attitudes towards research, facilitating resources, and participation in research of nursing instructors; 2) the relationships between attitudes toward research, facilitating resources, and research of nursing instructors; 3) the predictor variables of the participation in research of nursing instructors in Boromarajonani College of Nursing (BCNs) in lower northern region of Thailand.

Methods: Simple random sampling was used to recruit 128 nursing instructors. The questionnaires were employed to collect data and composed of 4 parts: 1) sociodemographic data; 2) attitudes toward research; 3) facilitating resources, and 4) participation in research of nursing instructors. Part 2, 3, and 4 were 5-rating scale questionnaires, which high score means a high level of those variables. The Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient reliabilities of the questionnaires part 2, 3 and 4 were .81, .84, and .94, respectively. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s correlation, and Stepwise multiple regression.

Results: The findings revealed that the attitudes toward nursing research was at a high level = 3.86; SD = .51), facilitating resources was at a moderate level (= 3.13; SD = .52), and participation in research of nursing instructors was at a moderate level (= 2.62; SD = .71). The attitudes toward research and time support for participating in research correlated with participation in research of nursing instructors, statistic significantly (r = .34, and r = .20, respectively). Attitudes toward research, time support for participating in research, and funding support predict 18 percent of participation in research of nursing instructors (R² =.184). The predictive equation can be written as: participation in research of nursing instructors = .193 + .381 (attitude towards research) + .276 (time support) - .197 (funding support).

Conclusions: Attitudes toward research, time support for participating in research, and funding support helped to predict research participation of nursing instructors. Therefore, the administrative board of committee should maintain positive attitudes toward research continuously in nurse educators, provide more time to participate in research activities and provide research funding which fits the researchers’ needs.