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https://doi.org/10.59654/p0pjcc30
Título a dos líneas
Línea 2
Two-line title
Line 2
Research teachers: Evaluation of research quality
from the perspective of efficiency,
efficacy and effectiveness
Docentes investigadores: Evaluación de la calidad investigativa
desde la eficiencia, eficacia y efectividad
Abstract
The study examined the re-signification of managerial theory and practice in BANI environments through Transpersonal
Conscious Educational Administration (AETC). A qualitative approach, interpretative paradigm, and ethnographic design
with ethnographic systematization were adopted, involving one participant per hierarchical level: senior management,
leading management, and technical management. Data collection included participant observation, interviews, field
diaries, and systematization workshops, processed through coding and thematic categorization. Results showed that
conscious educational management strengthened ethical leadership, holistic human development, resilience, and co-
llaboration, integrating transpersonal competencies, neurointelligence, and mindfulness. Managerial praxis transformed
into transpersonal, adaptive, and ethical leadership capable of addressing fragility, anxiety, nonlinearity, and incompre-
hensibility characteristic of BANI environments. In conclusion, Fundaunamor functioned as a practical laboratory for
organizational transformation, validating an integrated, conscious, and humanistic educational and managerial model.
Keywords: Theory, Management, Management, Leadership, Integration.
Resumen
Las universidades están para producir ciencia, crear nuevo conocimiento, por lo cual el quehacer del docente univer-
sitario comienza cada vez más a diversificarse y la investigación es una actividad, un instrumento de apoyo para el
mejor desarrollo de la función pedagógica; pero para algunos la investigación lo ven como algo complejo, costoso y
sin implicaciones para la docencia en las aulas. Ante esta realidad el objetivo de esta investigación es evaluar la calidad
de los docentes en la investigación desde la eficiencia, eficacia y efectividad, que surge de una de las dimensiones de
la tesis doctoral en Gestión de la Calidad de Investigación Científica, UNAN-Managua. La metodología se caracterizó
por un paradigma constructivista, enfoque mixto, tipo de estudio explicativo, de acuerdo con el tiempo de ocurrencia
de los hechos y registro de la información, el estudio es retrospectivo y según el período y secuencia del estudio es
transversal, se utilizaron métodos, técnicas, herramientas e instrumentos para recolectar y procesar datos.
Palabras clave: Teoría, Administración, Gestión, Liderazgo, Integración.
Jossarys Gazo Robles*
Research Professor at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, Managua.
How to cite this article (APA): Gazó, R. J. (2026). Teacher-researchers: Evaluation of research quality based
on efficiency, efficacy, and effectiveness. Revista Digital de Investigación y Postgrado, 7(13), 101-109.
https://doi.org/10.59654/p0pjcc30
Jossarys Gazo Robles
Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Investigación y Postgrado
102
Introduction
This scientific article, Research Professors: Evaluation of Research Quality from Efficiency, Efficacy, and Ef-
fectiveness, is linked to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education; the National Education
Strategy, in all its modalities “Bendiciones y Victorias” 2024 – 2026, guideline 11: Research; the National
Poverty Eradication Plan; and the Institutional Project of UNAN-Managua.The figure of the research pro-
fessor or teacher-researcher has sparked considerable debate, both in academic circles and in educa-
tional practice itself, concerning what it means to be a teacher-researcher, what and how they can
investigate, and the purpose of the research they can undertake (Vidal, 1988; Enríquez & Romero, 2000).
This research holds methodological utility by evaluating human resources for research through a
system of specific quality indicators, based on the criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, and efficacy.
To achieve the objectives of this research, it is necessary to explore the conceptual terms related to
research impact and quality indicators.
Evaluation is “a structured and reflective analytical process that allows for understanding the nature
of the object of study and making value judgments about it, providing information to help improve
and adjust educational action” (Ruiz, 1996).
Quality indicators are measurement instruments, tangible and quantifiable in nature, that allow for the
assessment of the quality of processes, products, and services to ensure customer satisfaction. In other
words, they measure the level of compliance with the specifications established for a given activity or bu-
siness process. That is, a quality indicator is a measure that evaluates the excellence and precision of the
work performed by a team or individual on a project. It refers to how well established standards are met,
the accuracy of execution, and the satisfaction of customer or project requirements and expectations.
Efficacy is defined as the congruence between what was planned and the achievements obtained. To
verify efficacy, the institution must explicitly state its qualitative and quantitative goals at the institu-
tional, academic, and human resource levels across the various functions of teaching and research, as
well as goals for teacher development and learning achievements.
Efficiency is the ability to achieve goals by optimizing the use of available resources. In the context of
Higher Education institutions, efficiency can be analyzed from administrative and academic perspec-
tives. According to (López de Caballero, 2019), academic efficiency refers to the best use of pedago-
gical means to achieve planned results. It involves aspects related to the characterization of teachers,
as well as curriculum management such as regulations, curriculum structure, course sequences, cu-
rriculum flexibility, and obtaining the degree within the timeframes set by the institution. Put more
simply, efficiency analyzes the volume of resources expended to achieve goals. It is the achievement
of an objective at the lowest possible unit cost.
Effectiveness measures the degree to which results are achieved; that is, the focus is on accomplishment, not
on the resources spent to reach that result. In other words, how much of the expected results were attained.
Effectiveness is nothing other than the combination of efficacy and efficiency. This indicator presents
the consequences of a product or service. It involves doing the right thing with great accuracy and
without any waste of time or money.
The combination of these elements—result, cost, and time—allows for the objective measurement of the
degree of effectiveness and efficacy of an organizational area and enables comparisons between areas.
REDIP, Revista Digital de Investigación y Postgrado, E-ISSN: 2665-038X
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Teacher-researchers: Evaluation of research quality based on efficiency, efficacy, and effectiveness
Materials and methods
The study type is ex post facto, meaning it uses available information about events that have already
occurred. In terms of scope, it is explanatory. According to the timing of the events and information
recording, the study is retrospective, and based on the period and sequence, it is cross-sectional.
As the research has a mixed-methods approach, it employs methods and techniques from both qua-
litative and quantitative paradigms. These include: documentary research, ethnographic method, data
analysis, surveys with closed-ended questions, semi-structured interviews, participant observation,
triangulation, and focus groups; all within a socio-constructivist paradigm.
Results and discussion
The central project is titled: "Quality Indicator System: Evaluation of Research Training, National Autono-
mous University of Nicaragua, Managua", which consists of a total of 186 quality indicators to assess ef-
fectiveness, efficacy, and efficiency across 5 dimensions. On this occasion, one dimension will be addressed:
Human Resources for Research: Research Professors.
A professor's activity is multidimensional, but in this research, only their research activity will be evaluated.
The teacher, as a person, citizen, and professional, in their role as researcher and trainer, is competent to
guide the real understanding of the context. They have the authority conferred by being a builder and
creator of knowledge from their own research, unlike a teacher who merely repeats others' theories.
Adúriz (2007) is emphatic in stating that "research enables learning when it illuminates teaching." We
are aware that this process is bidirectional, contributing to the solution of human, social, scientific, and
technological problems. Similarly, it generates and enables the implementation of outreach programs
aimed at serving the community and establishing effective links with different social sectors—a factor
that is, in fact, decisive in improving living conditions in the regions.
The university teacher who conducts, guides, and supports research processes with other teachers and stu-
dents has the opportunity to be a creator and builder of knowledge through the direct and systematized
experience offered by each stage of the research and its results. Furthermore, it is the teacher involved in
research processes who can clearly, and above all, with authority, guide the students' learning process, as
they are the ones developing their own knowledge, taking into account what other researchers have found.
Only they, through the results of their inquiries, allow, over time, the construction and consolidation of science.
How will the efficiency, efficacy, and effectiveness of human resources for research be measured?
Table 1
Ways to measure efficiency, efficacy, and effectiveness
Note: * The result will be a percentage that the institution can assess comparatively. That is, if it falls within the lower per-
centiles, the work will be considered ineffective.
** The resulting percentage will reflect the degree of effectiveness of the measured action.
Indicators Efficiency Eficacy* Effectiness** Quality
Indicator 2: human
resources for re-
search.
Jossarys Gazo Robles
Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Investigación y Postgrado
104
Step one: Record the general data of the program or department.
Table 2
General data of the program or department
Step two: Evaluation of efficiency as a research professor.
Table 3
Efficiency: Research professor
The efficiency of faculty who are researchers is measured by: time, salary, and scientific productivity. For
example, how many years they have worked at the university, their salary compared to their scientific
productivity results. In other words, an efficiency evaluation is conducted, analyzing the relationship bet-
ween resources invested (such as time and salary) and the results obtained (such as scientific productivity).
Efficiency is interpreted as the capacity to convert resources (time and salary) into scientific outputs.
Some studies use Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) or Total Factor Productivity (TFP) Analysis to quan-
tify this efficiency. If a research professor produces more results with the same or less time/salary, they
are more efficient. If another has many years of service and a high salary but low scientific productivity,
they are less efficient. For example, in Table 4 below, a simulation of 3 academic programs is shown.
The scientific productivity of the program is recorded since its founding, including the number of re-
search faculty and the total payroll.
Period Anual
Departament
Number of faculty per program
Type of research project initiative
Research project
Outreach project
Culminating Study Project: Master's, Specialization, or Doctoral Degree
Type of research
Research units
Research centers
Specialized laboratories
Specialized research units
Research units
Research centers
Specialized laboratories
(RA / CA * TA )
(RE / CE * TE )
Rangos
0< - <80%
80< - <100
= 100
Calificación
Ineficiente
Moderadamente eficiente
Muy eficiente
Puntos
1
3
5
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105
Table 4
Efficiency: Indicator of scientific productivity outputs (or results)
Note: These are indicators that directly measure research results themselves.
An academic program with a research profile is efficient when it makes optimal use of resources and,
therefore, has the lowest possible cost. That is, the less time or money consumed to achieve the ex-
pected objective, the better the performance, and vice versa. The greater the quantity of results ob-
tained per unit of time and cost employed, the more favorable the situation will also be. For example,
the following table shows a simulation with research professors belonging to 4 academic programs,
whose names will not be revealed due to prior informed consent.
According to regulations, a research professor must publish two scientific articles. Therefore, if they
have 10 years at the university, their research profiles should show 20 articles published in indexed
journals, whether national or international.
Table 5
Efficacy
Output (or result) indicators Program
1
Program
2
Program
3
Number of research professors. 33 32 20
Cantidad de docentes investigadores. 5 14 6
What they are paid. $ $ $
Number of research projects developed by .professors; student research is not recorded. 5 2 2
umber of published scientific articles. 4 1 1
Research awards received by members of the evaluated unit. 0 1 1
Number of scientific books produced. 5 0 0
Number of research prototypes. 0 0 0
Number of book chapters resulting from research. 2 0 0
Number of manuals. 0 0 0
Number of essays. 0 0 0
Number of bulletins. 0 0 0
Published systematization documents. 0 0 0
Output (or result) indicators Research professor
1 2 3 4
Years of service 11 11 9 10
Active research profiles 2 2 1 1
Number of published scientific articles 4 3 1 1
Research awards achieved by members of the evaluated unit 0 0 0 0
Academic degree M Sc. M Sc. M Sc. M Sc.
Number of research projects (does not apply to graduation formats) 1 1 0 1
Number of scientific books produced 0 1 0 0
Number of research prototypes 0 0 0 0
Number of book chapters resulting from research 0 0 0 0
Number of manuals 0 0 0 0
Number of essays 0 0 0 0
Number of bulletins 0 0 0 0
Published systematization documents 0 0 0 0
Cargos vinculados a la investigación 1 1 1 0
Jossarys Gazo Robles
Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Investigación y Postgrado
106
Other elements reviewed were:
•Total years in teaching vs. years in research-related positions: Editors, Research Coordina-
tors, Research Executives.
•Rate of activity in research projects: Number of research projects / number of Ph.D.s in the
group. Number of research projects / number of Master's degree holders in the group. Number
of research projects / number of Bachelor's degree holders in the group.
•Percentage of research in collaboration with the State, society, and industry: Total number
of research collaborations achieved with the State, society, and industry / expected research
collaborations.
•Rate of activity in national or international scientific events: Number of presentations deli-
vered / number of scientific events.
Rate of activity in national or international research networks: Number of research activities / number
of research networks.In essence, a research professor is Efficient when the optimization of resources
(financial, time, human talent) is achieved to obtain results. It answers the question: Were the results
achieved at the lowest cost and in the shortest time possible? Now, how do I know if I am an effective
researcher? This is addressed in the following table.
Step Three: Evaluation of efficacy
Table 4
Efficacy
Efficacy is measured by: Bibliometric indicators. That is, a research professor is effective when they
achieve the planned goals and objectives in research activity, regardless of the resources used. It ans-
wers the question: Were the expected results achieved? But to be objective, bibliometric indicators
are used.
The German professor and researcher Jaspers (1946), from his experience, stated that the teacher who
researches and teaches from their own experience of knowing possesses the original and sequential
practice of knowledge development, which allows them to guide the formation of the scientific and
innovative spirit in their disciples. They are a reflective and critical intellectual, committed to transfor-
ming their own reality and engaged with the world of life.
Bibliometric indicators are numerical data calculated from the bibliographic characteristics observed
RA / RE
Ranges Score Points
a) 0 – 20%
b) 21 – 40%
c) 41 – 60%
d) 61 – 80%
e) 81 – 90%
f) 91%
Not effective
Moderately efficacious
Highly inefficacious
a) 0
b) 1
c) 2
d) 3
e) 4
f) 5
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Teacher-researchers: Evaluation of research quality based on efficiency, efficacy, and effectiveness
107
in documents published in the scientific and academic world. They allow for the analysis of various
features of scientific activity, linked to both the production and consumption of information.
An effective research professor is measured by a journal's Impact Factor (which is the average number
of citations received in a given year X by articles published in the two preceding years, divided by the
total number of articles published in those two years), or the Collaboration Index (defined as the ave-
rage number of authors participating in research articles from a specific journal, institution, or disci-
pline).
Likewise, search engines, databases, abstract indexing services, repositories, and specialized platforms
are used. Currently, Google Scholar, WoS (Web of Science), and Scopus are the main resources con-
sulted by teachers, researchers, and scientists for knowledge appropriation and dissemination. Mea-
surement also occurs through metrics of publications based on quality.
It is essential to mention that bibliometric indicators do not represent the only way to measure a re-
searcher's contribution, but it is important to recognize their current influence within their evaluation.
Step Four: Evaluation of effectiveness
Table 7
Assessment of effectivenesss
Effectiveness is measured by: The contribution of scientific productivity. However, scientific productivity
is not measured solely by the quantity of scientific articles, but also by other elements.
The following review involves cross-checking the scientific value of published articles, because there
can be research professors who publish extensively but whose impact is debatable, and the other sce-
nario where research professors publish fewer scientific articles, but what they write has generated a
significant impact.
A research professor is effective when Efficacy and Efficiency are combined, measuring the real impact
and relevance of research results in the social or disciplinary environment. It answers the question:
Were the results achieved, resources optimized, and positive, pertinent impact generated? That is, the
relevance of scientific productivity refers to the “what” and “for what” of the publication; in other words,
the educational intentions that condition other decisions the institution must make to achieve its goals
and purposes. Relevance is reflected in the attributes of: pertinence, impact, suitability, and timeliness.
Pertinence refers to the capacity of the research generated by the teacher to appropriately respond
to the needs and demands of society. Impact is the degree of internal and external influence it has on
the community as an effect of the implemented project.
(Efficacy score + Efficiency score) / 2
Ranges Score
0< - <80%
80< - <100
= 100
Ineffective
Moderately effective
Effective
Jossarys Gazo Robles
Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Investigación y Postgrado
108
Conclusions
The dual activity of teaching and researching is of great value to the teaching profession because it
allows teachers to stay at the forefront, knowing that the teaching process is conducted from a living
mindset, built by teachers and student researchers. The university's mission is to place the student
under the intellectual guidance of the research professor, to form academic communities from these
two generations in an environment of teaching, learning, and research, based on an interest in theo-
retical development and the practical utility of knowledge.
The National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN-Managua) has the Directorate of Institu-
tional Quality Management and the Directorate of Research and Innovation, which have succeeded
in consolidating the main theoretical and conceptual elements concerning process management, qua-
lity management, and the information management system, achieving the participation of central-
level units in guiding the fulfillment of set goals. The research culture is not separate from this strategic
purpose of accreditation for academic excellence.
At the university, quality management is understood as the set of policies, strategies, actions, and
procedures aimed at maintaining and sustaining continuous improvement at each level of manage-
ment, academic and administrative bodies, and the strategic, key, and support functions and processes
we develop to meet the demands of Nicaraguan society.
The commitment and dedication of the teaching staff to scientific productivity is recognized. However,
some of these efforts have not been fully realized, mainly due to administrative or management
factors beyond the teachers' scope of action.
In research, you must pay for what it costs; that is, you must invest in resources to generate research.
The return on investment (ROI) in research is seen through results—it provides connections, academic
status in the long term, beyond just monetary gain.
The competent performance of a research professor, understanding that their responsibility in training
professionals is shared by a multidisciplinary team, advocates for a functional and dynamic teaching-
learning process that surpasses theoretical and memorization-based methodological practices, making
way for learning that connects theory with practice in specific, contextualized situations.
Being a university professor means taking seriously the task of guiding the professional formation of
students—a task for which they need to broaden their perspective on new teaching approaches with
greater potential to contribute to the history of the teaching profession, bearing in mind that teaching
and research are inherent to academic work; together, they build bridges between knowing and doing.
How can the number of efficient, effective, and efficacious research professors be increased? (a) By
assisting those teachers who are not yet clear about their research line. (b) The teacher must be in
constant professional development, which helps them understand that there are emerging topics to
write about. (c) In this sense, it is valuable to continue promoting spaces for dialogue and coordination
with the various university bodies, with the purpose of facilitating the execution of these initiatives
and making the most of the academic potential.
Privacy: Not applicable.
Funding: This work did not receive any kind of funding.
Statement on the use of artificial intelligence: The authors of this article declare that we have
not used Artificial Intelligence in its development.
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Article received: October 7, 2025
Article accepted: October 28, 2025
Approved for layout: November 1, 2025
Publication date: January 10, 2026
About the author
* Jossarys Gazo Robles holds a Ph.D. in Quality Management of Scientific Research, a Master's in Scientific Research Met-
hods, and a Bachelor's degree in Social Anthropology from the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN),
Managua, Nicaragua. She was awarded first place in the National Young Scientist and Researcher Contest of Nicaragua
in 2021. She is a titular professor (or: a tenured professor) in the Department of Social and Political Sciences at UNAN.
Email: jgazo@unan.edu.ni
