The impact of national research and education networks on the quality of education and research output

Abstract

The rapid growth of universities in the Least Developing Countries (LDCs) is aimed at enhancing access to tertiary education, which has resulted in a sharp increase in the enrolment rate. However, the quantitative increase has been marred with a correspondingly continuous decline in the quality of education. This is attributed to a wide range of limiting factors mainly classified as institutional problems. Some of these problems include a shortage of resources, limited skills and incompetent human capital, lack of ICT infrastructure, and the ineffective use of existing ICT resources. These problems and others have adversely affected how national education and research network can improve research output and quality of education. In this study, a survey, in the form of an exploratory quantitative research design is used. A descriptive non-experimental quantitative approach was also chosen, and a questionnaire was administered to approximately one hundred and seventy-two (172) participants drawn from twenty-nine (29) Ethiopian Public Universities. The results of the analysis show that the study variables namely NREN service for education, EthERNet, electronic device and research output have a significant and positive impact on the Quality of Education (QE) to differing degrees. Also, the study variables such as NREN service for research, high-performance computing, and remote computing facilities indicated that they had a significant and positive impact on Research Output (RO) to differing degrees. The study explored the impact of EthERNet in improving the quality of education and research output by examining the existing network infrastructure and NREN services. The study employed the use of the Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to assess the existing network infrastructure and NREN services to determine that a reliable network can improve the quality of education and research output. Besides, Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to identify the positive and negative factors that impact on the roles, relationships, and formation of quality of education and research output. Furthermore, a three-step design science approach was applied to propose and justify the theoretical framework, which is used as a base to develop a service portfolio and roadmap conceived to design the required NREN service for EthERNet. This research contributed to the body of knowledge by finding the missing link between the quality of education and research outputs. From a theoretical perspective, the research contributed a theoretical framework by developing the construct and their measures that can be used in assessing the adoption and usage of technology. Furthermore, the study contributes to the literature by demonstrating an analytical process which could be used as a guide for future NREN service requirement to improve the quality of education and research output with the existing findings being used as a reference point.