A study of collaborative research and scholarship in electronics technology and electronics/electrical engineering technology programs in the United States

The use of collaborative research as a research and scholarship alternative for electronics technology (ET) and electronics/electrical engineering technology (EET) faculty was researched. The study was designed to ascertain if ET/EET administrators and program heads had different perceptions of ET/EET faculty research and scholarship. Two year institutions were excluded from the study.;All ET/EET program heads provided demographic data of ET/EET faculty at their institution. Included in the questionnaire were information about the number of ET/EET faculty at various academic ranks; the number of years of educational and industrial experience of the ET/EET faculty; the age of the ET/EET faculty; the percentage of time devoted to teaching and research activities by ET/EET faculty; if ET/EET faculty are required to engage in research or scholarship activities; the number of ET/EET faculty involved in research or scholarship activities; if the institution supported research and scholarship activities for ET/EET faculty by providing nonfunded release time; and if the institution had an official tenure process.;A stratified random sample of ET/EET administrators and program heads at ET/EET institutions was surveyed. The results of the chi-square analyses indicated that the opinions of ET/EET administrators and program heads were significantly different related to three of the variables and not significantly different for the other five variables.;The five variables not significantly related between ET/EET administrators and program heads were: professional registration for ET/EET faculty, research and scholarship activities of ET/EET faculty, technical competency of ET/EET faculty, collaborative research by ET/EET faculty that would benefit a tenure or promotion process, and collaborative research as a possible research area for ET/EET faculty. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)...