The role of professional development in improving the quality of scientific research of public university lecturers: An empirical study in Vietnam

In the context of public universities in Vietnam being under pressure to improve the quality of scientific research, professional development (PD) is considered a strategic solution to promote the research capacity and effectiveness of the teaching staff. This study uses the AMO theoretical framework to test the relationship between PD and scientific research quality (RQ), in which research capacity (RC) and research motivation (RM) play a mediating role.Data were collected from 356 public university lecturers and analyzed using a linear regression model. The results indicate that PD has a strong positive impact on RQ, both directly and indirectly through RC and RM. In particular, research motivation plays a prominent mediating role in transforming PD activities into research outcomes. The study confirms the pivotal role of PD programs that are academically designed, personalized, and linked to research development strategies.On that basis, the article proposes policies to improve the quality of PD in public schools, while contributing to strengthening empirical evidence on the AMO model in the field of higher education in developing countries.