Mentoring as a Facilitator of Research Productivity of LIS Educators in Tertiary Institutions in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated mentoring as a facilitator of research productivity of LIS Educators in tertiary institutions in Lafia. The study was conducted in two tertiary institutions in Lafia, Nasarawa State using descriptive research design. Three (3) research questions were raised to elicit responses from for the analysis. The total population for the study was 12 LIS Educators from the two (2) higher institutions of learning in Lafia, Nasarawa State. Only two (2) of the institutions run LIS programme. Specifically, Federal University of Lafia and Nasarawa State Polytechnic Lafia, hence they were purposively selected for the study. Total enumeration (census) technique was used to cover the entire target population. Twelve (12) copies of the questionnaire administered were all returned, having a response rate of 100%. The research questions were analysed using mean and standard deviation. The findings of the study revealed that all the LIS Educators in tertiary institutions in Lafia, Nigeria are engaged in mentoring relationship. In addition, mentoring greatly facilitated the research productivity of LIS Educators in the two higher institutions running LIS programme in Lafia, Nasarawa State Nigeria, as revealed in their mean scores for all the items/constructs outlined to demonstrate qualities of mentoring. This study recommended that LIS Educators should expand their scope of mentorship to international scale so as to get fresh mentorship perspectives and stay abreast with global best practices.