Factors that affect faculty participation in distance education: An institutional study
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence (motivate and inhibit) faculty participation in distance education, and to identify any significant differences between what faculty identify and deans/department heads perceive as factors that influence participation. This study surveyed 124 (30.0%) faculty and 16 (35.6°) deans/department heads at Tennessee State University. Dr. Kristin Betts developed the survey instrument in 1998 for similar research conducted at the George Washington University. Analysis of the collected data revealed that there was a statistically significant relationship found between faculty characteristics (gender, age, position, tenure status, and number of years involved in distance education) and faculty participation in distance education. Faculty participants and administrators disagreed on which factors, from a list of 34 items, had motivated faculty to participate in distance education. Statistically significant differences were found between what faculty identified and what deans/department heads perceived as factors that would inhibit faculty from participating in distance education. Faculty participants and administrators disagreed to a lesser extent on which factors would inhibit continued faculty participation in distance education. In a comparison of rewards and compensation between participants and non-participants, no differences were found to be statistically significant. Finally, there was a statistically significant relationship between faculty participation in distance education and whether they had participated or planed to participate in distance education training.
Subject Area
Higher education|Educational administration
Recommended Citation
Karen Lawing Gupton,
"Factors that affect faculty participation in distance education: An institutional study"
(2004).
ETD Collection for Tennessee State University.
Paper AAI3158437.
https://digitalscholarship.tnstate.edu/dissertations/AAI3158437