Grit, conceptualized as sustained perseverance and enduring interest toward long-term goals, has received increasing attention as a psychological trait influencing faculty research success. This longitudinal study examined how grit predicts both self-reported and bibliometric indicators of research success in a sample of 167 STEM faculty members from 10 U.S. research institutions. Data were collected over three years through annual surveys, supplemented with publication and citation data from the Web of Science. The results indicated that perseverance of effort predicted bibliometric indicators of research productivity, while consistency of interest was more strongly related to faculty self-perceived success in research activities, publications, and grant applications. Over time, the influence of perseverance weakened and, in some cases, became negative, suggesting that sustained effort may yield diminishing returns when institutional support is limited. In contrast, the consistency of interest remained a stable and positive predictor across all time points. These findings highlight grit as a multidimensional construct whose effects on research success evolve over time, underscoring its significance for faculty development initiatives, institutional support structures, and policies aimed at fostering long-term research engagement and productivity.

Technology plays a pivotal role in faculty research success, which positively impacts academia and society. The technological adaptation model (TAM) was used to predict how faculty research competence and technological competence for doing research related to their success. Survey data were collected from 336 faculty who were working at North American universities recruited via social media. This study found that faculty research and technological competencies varied significantly based on their demographic characteristics. Faculty research competencies, technological competencies, attitude towards doing research, and success had a positive and moderate level of correlation. A structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that faculty research success was positively and significantly predicted by faculty attitude in conducting research, and faculty technological competencies significantly predicted faculty research activity. The findings suggest universities can offer need-based training for faculty to improve their competencies in research and ensure the latest technology for research, which may increase faculty research success.

Identification of the various methods of measuring faculty research success stands in need of better collection and summary. This study aimed to identify the measures and factors of faculty research success through a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines. Using the Boolean search, 265 studies (i.e., articles and dissertations) from four popular databases were selected for abstract screening. Thirty-six studies were selected for full-text text review, which ranged over 237,980 faculty of STEM and non-STEM areas from 29 countries. The results indicated that faculty research success is measured through several forms of academic publication including number of articles published in journals, conference proceedings, books, book chapters, textbooks, edited books, monographs, technical reports, citations, and h-index. Faculty research success was related to demographic, job, institutional, and psychosocial factors. These findings will help future researchers identify how faculty research success has been measured, also suggesting what supports are needed for researchers to become more successful.

University faculty experience many emotions that have implications for their research success; however, previous studies on research-related emotions in faculty have consistently employed self-report measures with limited validity, reliability, and scope. The current study aimed to validate the Research Emotions Questionnaire (REQ) among STEM faculty, examine potential differences in emotions by demographic and job-related factors, and test a hypothesized model of emotions as predictors of faculty research success based on Pekrun's control-value theory (CVT). An online survey was completed by 611 STEM faculty from 10 research-intensive US universities, with the data showing the REQ to be valid and reliable. Women reported more anxiety and disappointment, underrepresented minorities reported more anxiety, and full professors reported more enjoyment and pride, as well as less anxiety and disappointment, compared to junior colleagues. Structural equation modeling results showed perceived control and value appraisals significantly predicted research emotions and, in turn, self-reported research success. Negative binomial regressions revealed enjoyment, boredom, disappointment, and frustration as significant predictors of bibliometric counts of publications and citations. The REQ is an improved tool for understanding faculty research emotions, with implications for developing targeted emotional regulation programs to enhance faculty well-being, success, and job satisfaction, particularly for underrepresented groups.

Faculty motivation has been demonstrated to be a critical factor in research success; however, developers of interventions aimed at boosting research productivity have rarely explicitly focused on faculty motivation. This study explored faculty beliefs about whether their research motivation could be strengthened, their plans to improve research productivity, their opinions on standard interventions, and how their current levels of motivation and success influence their intentions to change. A survey of 580 USA STEM faculty revealed four differently motivated faculty groups based on self-determination theory: (1) improvement-striving faculty were mostly international, untenured faculty actively seeking to boost productivity through raising autonomous motivation; (2) high satisfaction of basic needs faculty were primarily domestic, tenured full professors who saw no need for change in motivation or productivity; (3) improvement-avoidant faculty recognized room for growth but delayed action, often driven by controlled motivation; and (4) faculty with low satisfaction of the basic needs were at risk of amotivation and not attempting to improve, possibly needing individualized support. The most common research interventions faculty previously participated in were “Research groups involving graduate students” and “Research skills training/workshop/seminar”; in contrast, “Designated research time (course release, sabbatical)” and “Monetary awards and/or recognition for research” were the research professional development interventions faculty most believed would improve their motivation, productivity, and likelihood to participate. The results of the current study will inform higher education institutions striving to increase faculty scholarly productivity by using motivation-based interventions to achieve measurable gains.

University faculty often contend with intense workloads, leading to considerable stress and diminished well-being. The impact of these demanding factors on faculty research motivation and research productivity requires further investigation. There is a gap in current research of knowing the relationship between faculty stress, health, motivations, and research productivity. This study recruited 651 US STEM faculty members to complete an online survey rooted in self-determination theory aimed to investigate the relationships between STEM faculty stress and health with their motivation for research and, in turn, their research productivity. Findings indicate that lower stress levels and improved mental health correlate with enhanced feelings of autonomy and competence. The result of factor analysis and Structural equation modeling suggested that higher levels of autonomous motivation and decreased introjected motivation, thereby significantly enhancing research productivity. Further analysis suggests that autonomy, mediated through increased autonomous motivation, indirectly strengthens the connection between mental health and research achievements. These insights prompt discussions on the pivotal role of mental health in shaping faculty members' motivation and success in research. The results of this study can inform higher education policymakers in designing and implementing strategies to enhance faculty research productivity through targeted support for mental and physical health.

Research on faculty emotions is scarce, despite their evident relevance for faculty well-being, higher education quality, and student outcomes. The present studies aimed to investigate six discrete emotions (enjoyment, pride, boredom, anxiety, anger, frustration) faculty may experience during grading. Study 1 compared faculty emotions for grading with emotions for research and teaching (US sample, N = 1226). Mean comparisons showed that grading generally elicited less positive and more negative emotions than research and teaching. Study 2 further examined faculty emotions for grading through the lens of control-value theory, by identifying emotion-specific appraisal patterns in two countries (US, n = 244 and Germany, n = 201). Multiple linear regressions revealed that the most consistent predictor for grading emotions across both samples was cost, in terms of the extent to which faculty perceived grading as a thankless task that kept them away from more meaningful tasks. Our findings further point to the important role of faculty-student relationships and faculty members' confidence in their grading ability for eliciting grading emotions. This study extends existing research on emotions in higher education by considering grading as a relevant emotion-inducing task, and by applying control-value theory to a new context in two countries, thereby contributing to the question of this theory's generalizability. Practical implications of our findings entail that universities should aim to improve the circumstances of grading and equip their faculty with the means to handle their grading duties well, to optimize their somewhat worrisome emotional experiences in this context.

Negative and often unconscious beliefs about marginalised groups, including women and people of colour, sometimes manifest in discriminatory and degrading slights called microaggressions. Since most often microaggressions are in the form of subtle actions, unobtrusive comments, or humorous gestures, they are frequently overlooked as innocent and harmless, specifically to bystanders. However, their adverse effects on those on the receiving end are anything but innocuous, even if perpetrators are utterly unaware of their harmful comments or behaviours. Minorities and marginalized individuals often find microaggressions more harmful than blatant racism and discrimination. Six hundred and eleven STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) faculty from ten USA universities completed an online survey in the spring of 2021, of which 39% self-identified as Underrepresented Minority, URM, faculty. This study revealed that on average, URM women were 50% more susceptible to gender microaggressions, which correlated negatively with autonomy (having choice) and competence (being capable and effective), and positively with amotivation (lack of motivation). Case in point, 38% of them believed their opinions were overlooked in a group discussion because of their gender. Women with intersecting identities, such as women of colour, experienced both forms of gender and racial/ethnic microaggressions. They have experienced being ignored at work, being treated differently, and their opinion being overlooked based on their gender and/or their race/ethnicity. While detecting bias and microaggression and acknowledging their occurrence is crucial, taking deliberate and precise actions to disrupt and prevent them from re-occurring is even more pivotal. By realising the prevalence of discrimination and microaggressions towards underrepresented minority female faculty, and sharing insights into the complex and overarching race, ethnic, and gender relations among other social constructs, this study deepens our understanding of the challenges and barriers that this group has to grapple with. By adopting and creating effective institutional policies and professional training in support of diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency we can improve the experiences of URM faculty and positively impact their motivation and productivity.

The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) is used to assess depression with people from many cultures and ethnicities; however, the scale has been validated with very few populations other than the majority (Gray et al., 2016). Secondary analysis of data included two-factor confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of the BDI-II with two independent American Indian samples, which were compared with the results in the BDI-II Manual (Beck et al., 1996). Sample 1 included 527 adult American Indians recruited from seven tribal communities, and Sample 2 included a community sample of 440 American Indian adults. The results of both CFA matched the original factor structure reported in Beck et al. (1996) supporting the construct validity of the BDI-II in Northern Plains American Indians. The internal consistency of the BDI-II was very high in Sample 1 (r = .94) but somewhat lower in Sample 2 (r = .72). Measures of convergent validity and discriminant validity were below acceptability for both Sample 1 and Sample 2. The results of this study support the construct validity of the BDI-II in Northern Plains American Indians. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Underrepresented minority (URM) university faculty can be identified as those whose representation based on gender, race, and/or ethnicity in particular fields, such as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), are smaller than in the US population. Studies on URM faculty have found discrimination and affiliated stress impact faculty in many aspects of their work, such as performance in research. In the current study, we examined STEM faculty who self-identify as URM, their experiences of workplace discrimination, and how these encounters affect their self-determined motivation to conduct research. Six-hundred and fifty-one faculty from 10 US institutions completed an online survey. Of the participants, 37.5% self-identified as URM, of which 81% were women, 20% non-white, and 6% Hispanic/Latinx ethnicity; notably, the data shows that 24% of women and 56% of non-white faculty did not self-identify as URM. More than 87% of URM reported workplace bias, which correlated with significantly lower autonomy and relatedness with coworkers. URM women reported gender discrimination at work was common and upsetting, which related to greater amotivation. Non-white and Hispanic/Latinx/Spanish URM who reported high success in research also cited more discrimination. URM faculty motivation was fostered by autonomy and competence, and much more by relatedness compared to non-URM faculty. For non-URM, autonomous motivation (enjoyment, value) positively related to research success, whereas for URM faculty a lack of introjected motivation (guilt) was the strongest predictor. Discussion focuses on implications for future studies of faculty motivation and strategies to promote URM faculty research productivity.

How are university faculty members in STEM disciplines motivated to conduct research, and how does motivation predict their success? The current study assessed how multiple types of self-determined motivation predict research productivity in a sample of 651 faculty from 10 US institutions. Using structural equation modeling, the basic psychological needs of autonomy and competence predicted autonomous motivation (enjoyment, value) that, in turn, was the strongest predictor of self-reported research productivity. Using negative binomial regression, autonomous motivation was the strongest predictor of faculty publications and citations, with a one-standard deviation increase in autonomous motivation (approximately a half response option on a 1-5 Likert scale) corresponding to an 11.63% increase in publications and a 22.57% increase in citations over a three-year period. Occupational and social-environmental background variables (e.g., research percentage on contract, career age, balance, collegiality), as well as controlled motivation (guilt, rewards), had comparatively limited predictive effects. These results are of relevance to higher education institutions aiming to support scholarly productivity in STEM faculty in identifying specific beneficial and detrimental aspects of faculty motivation that contribute to measurable gains in research activity.

This study evaluated responses to an adapted version of the Academic Motivation Scale (

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore factors affecting faculty members' motivation to use learning analytics (LA) to improve their teaching. In the quantitative phase, 107 faculty members completed an online survey about their motivation to use LA. The results showed that cost, utility, attainment value, and competence all predicted intrinsic motivation to use LA; then, in turn, positive introjected motivation and amotivation predicted faculty LA usage. In the qualitative phase, ten faculty participated in three focus groups, and seven themes emerged as key factors that affected their motivation to use LA. The themes involving motivating factors included tracking and monitoring learning activities, early alert, improve teaching effectiveness, institutional training, and support. Alternatively, demotivating factors included the cost in terms of time, lack of data competence, and the 'un-structuredness' of the dataset. The paper also discussed the mechanisms for increasing LA usage among faculty members to improve their teaching.

University faculty have many responsibilities, including teaching and research, that call for long periods of work before a significant payoff. Grit, the passion and perseverance towards long term goals, may help explain why some faculty attain their goals more frequently than others. The goal of this study was to examine the role of grit and emotions in faculty teaching and research success. Counseling psychology faculty ( N = 131) from US universities completed an online survey, which included and validated a revised grit scale. Findings showed, more so in the domain of research than teaching, grit correlated positively with enjoyment, negatively with anxiety, and positively with success. In the research domain, the structural regression paths revealed grit to be more relevant for faculty success and emotions. In the research models, persistence of effort predicted perceived control while consistency of interest predicted value. Research value predicted enjoyment and anxiety, and in turn success. In the teaching model, there were no significant paths from grit to control or value; however, value predicted enjoyment, and in turn success. These findings have implications for faculty development as grit has been a relatively understudied construct in this population.

Most postsecondary instructors in the United States require students to use textbooks in their courses; however, the cost of commercial materials has increased, and copyright policies impede sharing, editing, and customizations of materials. The current study aimed to examine faculty motivation to adopt Open Educational Resources (OER) and how OER use relates to effective teaching practices. Survey data from 469 professors, instructors, lecturers, and research scientists were analyzed using structural equation modeling, which found that autonomous motivation (engagement with OER textbooks based on enjoyment, value) was the strongest positive predictor of current and future OER textbook use. However, use of OER textbooks was not related to self-reported teaching success. The results of this study contribute to better understanding faculty perceptions of and motivation for OER textbook use, along with informing OER adoption initiatives at postsecondary institutions.