Motivational factors and barriers to scientific production: perceptions of teachers in an emerging university in Peru

Abstract

In Peru, there is still a low academic level and research quality, although with the implementation of the University Law there has been some improvement in that sense. This study examines the relationship between motivational factors/barriers and the scientific productivity of teachers at the National Autonomous University of Tayacaja (UNAT) in Peru. The research is quantitative with a non-experimental design. It involved 49 of the 73 UNAT teachers in 2024, selected through probabilistic sampling. A survey validated with the Kuder-Richardson coefficient was used, consisting of 22 items distributed across 6 indicators. The results were analyzed in Microsoft® Excel 365, using Spearman correlation analysis and principal component analysis. The results show high intrinsic motivation among teachers towards research, with 98% considering conducting research despite the required effort. However, they face significant barriers such as lack of economic incentives (71.4%), time for research within their academic activities (69.4%), and research support networks (36.7%). The findings of this article identified the importance of the institution implementing policies to address these barriers and promote scientific production.