Teaching Effectiveness of Research Methodology Courses and Students’ Research Competence in Tertiary Institutions in Edo State, Nigeria

Research competence has increasingly become a critical indicator of educational quality, innovation capacity, and graduate preparedness within tertiary institutions. However, concerns persist regarding the extent to which research methodology courses effectively equip students with the practical and analytical competencies required for scholarly inquiry. This study investigated the relationship between teaching effectiveness of research methodology courses and students’ research competence in tertiary institutions in Edo State, Nigeria. The study was anchored on Constructivist Learning Theory, Experiential Learning Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, and Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. A correlational survey and tracer research design were adopted. The study population comprised NCE, undergraduate, and postgraduate students who had completed or were undertaking research methodology courses across selected tertiary institutions in Edo State. Using multi-stage sampling procedures, 548 respondents participated in the study through administration of the Teaching Effectiveness of Research Methodology Courses and Students’ Research Competence Questionnaire (TERMCSRCQ), which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.82. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that the overall level of teaching effectiveness of research methodology courses was moderate (Grand Mean = 2.75, SD = 0.69), while students’ research competence across research design, data analysis, interpretation of findings, and research writing was also moderate (Grand Mean = 2.72, SD = 0.69). Results further established a statistically significant positive relationship between teaching effectiveness and students’ research competence (r = .62, p