DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sjahss.2026.v14i02.004

Pages: 47-61

This study assessed the research opportunities and challenges in higher education at Don Jose Ecleo Memorial College to develop a Strategic Research Development Framework. Using a descriptive-quantitative research design, data were collected from forty-five (45) faculty respondents to determine the influence of their demographic profiles on perceptions of research opportunities and challenges. Results revealed that the majority of respondents were young (53.33% aged 20–29), female (71.11%), and held the rank of Instructor I–III (82.22%). Most possessed limited research experience, primarily at the undergraduate level (71.11%). Faculty perceived research opportunities as low, particularly in areas of funding, training, collaboration, and institutional support. Meanwhile, research challenges were significant, including heavy teaching and administrative workload, limited research skills, insufficient access to resources, and weak institutional research culture. Multivariate analysis showed that demographic factors such as age, sex, educational attainment, academic rank, years of teaching, and research experience significantly influenced perceptions of research opportunities and challenges. These findings highlight the need to consider faculty profiles when designing interventions to enhance research productivity. The study recommends establishing structured research funding, capacity-building programs, mentorship initiatives, workload management, and recognition systems to strengthen faculty research engagement. Implementing these strategies can transform the institution into a research-driven environment, fostering sustained scholarly productivity and enhancing organizational performance in line with strategic management principles.