Teachers' Research Engagement: Insights from Ethiopian Public Universities

Research engagement is widely regarded as an essential component of professional development for language teachers, contributing to the improvement of their teaching practices. In Ethiopia, research engagement is a key responsibility for university instructors, including English language teachers. However, there is limited systematic evidence concerning the research engagement of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers. This study seeks to investigate the research engagement of Ethiopian EFL teachers and the challenges they encounter in public universities within the Amhara Region. A descriptive survey design was employed, with data collected from 162 randomly selected EFL teachers across four public universities through a questionnaire. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings reveal that there is low levels of research engagement among EFL teachers. Key factors hindering research engagement include a lack of institutional support, promotion restrictions, and limited access to academic resources, such as journals and books. Teachers who engaged in research were driven by professional development and career advancement, with a significant emphasis on fulfilling institutional responsibilities. Moreover, significant differences in research engagement were observed based on teachers' qualifications and experience. Based on these findings, recommendations are proposed to foster greater research engagement among EFL teachers.