Abstract. The research competence of Faculty in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) is crucial in advancing research progress. A positive attitude toward research encourages faculty to engage in research activities and professional development actively, fostering a research-driven academic environment. Research competence and attitude toward research are influenced by years of experience and access to research training, which can either enhance or limit faculty's ability to contribute effectively to institutional research goals. This descriptive-correlational study examined the relationship between research competence and attitude toward research of 256 faculty in State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in Iloilo. Using a researcher-made questionnaire, results revealed that the Faculty of SUCs were “Competent” in research and exhibited a “Positive attitude” toward research. The research competence of faculty in SUCs was not statistically different when classified as years of teaching experience and significantly different when classified as research-related training. The attitude toward research was not significantly different when classified as to years of teaching experience and significantly different when classified as to the number of research-related training. There was no significant relationship between research competence and attitude toward research of faculty in SUCs.

Keywords: Attitude toward research; Descriptive correlational; Faculty; Research competence; State universities and colleges.