Part II: 4. Research Development

Research skills are necessary for engaging in organizational development, assessment, evaluation, and other higher education administration projects.   Higher education administration understands the logic and process of scientific inquiry.  The Andrews University Bulletin for MA Leadership, with a concentration in communication, indicates that higher education administration explains major research methodologies, formulates empirically-driven research problems, selects appropriate research designs, conducts basic data collection and analysis, and adequately communicates research findings and implements the findings in the workplace.  This statement is applicable to all research, including higher education administration.  

From a global perspective, I think of research as systematic activities which “include research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge” (Department of Health and Human Services Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects, 1991. 45 CFR 46.102)  

To be a researcher, one must acquire the knowledge and appropriate skills.  My competency growth in research is premised on research courses and practice. I have taken a total of six courses in research and statistics during my doctoral studies.  These courses have equipped me with substantial research capabilities to design and conduct research studies, complete evaluations, and write research reports.  

Research Coursework

EDRM 505 - Research Methods introduced me to quantitative and qualitative research designs for conducting basic and applied research in education and psychology. The primary focus was the research process, including defining variables, formulating and stating the problem, planning and designing the research, conducting the literature review, selecting and designing instrumentation, collecting data, analyzing data, and researcher ethical and legal responsibilities. In this course, I was able to develop a research proposal. 

EDRM 605 - Qualitative Research Methods in Education and Psychology presented me with the theory, methods, and application of qualitative research in education and psychology, with particular emphasis on participant observation and the ethnographic interview.  

EDRM 611 - Applied Statistical Methods I This course equipped me with skills for conducting analysis of educational, counseling, and psychological data using descriptive and basic inferential statistics; frequency distribution, measures of central tendency, dispersion, correlation, t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, simple linear regression, introduction to multiple regression analysis, and chi-square. It is in this course that I learned how to use SPSS for data analysis, a skill I later put into practice in my dissertation. 

EDRM 636 - Program Evaluation familiarized me with the application of various evaluation models and techniques for the specific purpose of judging the processes and results of projects and programs.  It is during this course that I also became a member of the Michigan Association of Evaluators.   

Other courses consisted of EDRM710: Seminar in Research Methodology, EDAL887: Intervention Research Leadership, and my dissertation project.

As a result, today I am able to design and execute research investigations without difficulty.  I have a clear understanding and theoretical knowledge of research, and I have consequently secured the research skills to conduct, evaluate, and report on my research.  I have also participated in collaborative research projects throughout the period of my PhD program.  

The climax of the my growth in acquisition of research skills is demonstrated by the completion of my dissertation.  On Tuesday, December 4, 2018, I successfully defended my Dissertation titled "Examining perceptions of service quality of student services and satisfaction among international students at universities in Indiana and Michigan."  I found that in general, international students value the nonacademic service provided by their respective institutions; specifically, the components of reliability, empathy, and tangibles within perceptions of the quality of nonacademic services predicted overall student satisfaction.  I plan on disseminating the findings of my study in referred journals of higher education administration, marketing, and presenting at conferences.  This study has motivated me to continue with research in future in the areas of student services, higher education administration, including assessment and evaluation in these areas, and also in technology and innovation. 

The making of this dissertation was not a solo performance.  I thank God for many people who, directly or indirectly, participated in this study.  I am grateful for the spiritual and intellectual guidance by the dissertation committee Jay Brand, PhD. (Chair), Jimmy Kijai, PhD. (Methodologist), and Duane Covrig, PhD. (Member), and Lee Davidson, PhD.  Your support made the development of the project possible.  

I would also like to thank the universities that approved my data collection request and facilitated the data collection process. Last but not least, Charissa Boyd for the fine editorial work, and my dear family for their continued support during this journey.

 

As I continue growing in this field, I must also admit that the research development component of the Leadership Department’s Higher Education program provided me with substantial skills necessary for success by comprehensively applying research skills and knowledge as a foundation for effective decision-making.  The research experiences I have had in the Higher Education program have made it possible for me to practice, through application, the knowledge I had gained.  

I submit that Higher Education research experience enriches graduates with the skills needed for continuous improvement as leaders, professionals, and teachers.  This is made possible through the acquisition of research skills.  Vessuri (2008) argues for the role of research in higher education and discusses its implications.  He asserts that research in higher education “is the way forward to world development” (p. 119), pointing out that research in higher education is the key to addressing issues of development, globalization, and the inequality of nations.  Over the years, universities have grown to embrace research of higher education as a rationale for scientific, intellectual, and research capacity building.  Research tools have made it possible for us to address the challenges facing the world today.  Leaders, scientists, teachers, and others are relying more and more on data-driven decisions. 

Research Conferences

Another aspect of my growth is evidenced by my participation in research conferences.  I have attended several research conferences during my time as a student in the department.  These opportunities presented me with the prospect for tremendous growth.  My participation at these conferences included listening to oral and poster presentations.  I have also been able to make oral and poster presentations of my own.  The following areas demonstrate my growth in regard to research conference participation.  Some of the conferences I have attended were held by the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers (NAFSA), International Leadership Association (ILA), Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association (AHSRA), and Michigan Association of Evaluators (MAE).  Specific dates and resources for these conferences are as follows:

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association (AHSRA). 

As the Secretary of AHSRA, I have been involved with the planning of three annual conferences:

In 2017 at Loma Linda University, http://www.ahsra-meeting.com/ and

http://www.ahsra-meeting.com/uploads/9/5/5/9/9559268/ahrsa_2017_program_final.pdf.

In 2018 at Andrews University, http://www.ahsra.net/2018-connference.html and http://www.ahsra.net/2018-schedule.html.

In 2019 at Oakwood University, http://www.ahsra.net/.  

I have been responsible for creating and maintaining the conference website www.ahsra.net.  I have, along with others, reviewed papers submitted for oral presentations, developed conference themes, and managed conference logistics.  With the help of a colleague, I established the conference fee payment portal on the website.  I have carried out these roles successfully and to the satisfaction of the conference planning committee and attendees.

Other scholarship activities I have participated in are as follows:

In October 2008, I, along with a fellow student and our professor, presented a poster at the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers (NAFSA) in Los Angeles.  Our poster was a product of the Higher Education Study Tour of France, Italy, Germany, and United Kingdom we had concluded that summer.  Our presentation was on the Bologna Process.  We held a very interactive session during which we answered questions the attendees asked. 

https://www.nafsa.org/2008/05/28/tuesday-postcard-from-the-nafsa-2008-annual-conference/ 

On April 20, 2012, I participated in a panel presentation designed to assist distance-education students in completing research. This presentation was part of the 13th Annual Midwest Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning at Indiana University South Bend. 

From October 24 to 27, 2012, I, along with my professors, participated at the 14th Annual International Leadership Association (ILA) conference in Denver, Colorado.  Our presentation examined the integration of competing moral leadership types within an organization.  The round table discussion focused on the four common types of moral leadership—reconciliatory, pragmatic and productive, just and fair, and critical—and then explored ways to better integrate them in organizations. http://www.ila-net.org/Conferences/ProgramBookArchive/ILA2012Program.pdf

Publications/Current Scholarly Work

Ongo, M. O. (2019).  Examining perceptions of service quality of student services and

Satisfaction among international students at universities in Indiana and Michigan (Doctoral Dissertation).  

Janine, L., Covrig, D. Freed, S.  De Oliveira, B., Ongo, M., Newman, I. (2019). 

Strategies to assist distance doctoral students complete dissertations

Baumgartner, E., Kijai, J., Ongo, M. O., Patterson, S. E., et al. (2018, September). The

Influence of Culture on Leadership Styles and Behaviors. Paper presented at the Seminary Scholarship Symposium conducted at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Berrien Springs, MI. Abstract available at http://works.bepress.com/jimmy_kijai/7/

Covrig, D., Ongo, M. O., Ledesma, J. (2012).  Integrating four types of moral

leadership.  Journal of Applied Christian Leadership, 6(1). 36-63.

Burton, L., Stout, J., Mbungu, D., Katenga, J., Ongo, M., et al. (2011).  Engaging

diverse STEM students in transformative learning. Academia

Employment

My background in research competency has been equally enriched by practice.  My work as the university’s Research Integrity and Compliance Officer has created an environment for me to evaluate hundreds of research protocols, which includes assessing each research study’s purpose, background and rationale, design, population sample, research procedures, reliability and validity of instruments used, and data analysis.  Through this experience, I have developed a greater understanding of research ethics, especially in research involving human subjects.  I have developed my competency in this area for five years.  It has exposed me to Office for Human Research Protections and Food and Drug Administration regulations.  I have also developed competency in the area of ethics in data science.

I have provided artifacts in this portfolio as evidence of my growth.  These include program evaluations, article critiques, research proposals, qualitative research projects, collaborative descriptive and inferential statistics research projects, and literature reviews.

Training and Workshops conducted by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Human Research Protections.