Abstract

As more online courses and programs are created, it is imperative institutions understand the concern of their faculty toward teaching online, the types of technology they use, and the methods they use to instruct students in order to provide appropriate resources to support them. This quantitative study measures these concerns, using the Stages of Concern Questionnaire, of full-time faculty at a small Christian liberal arts university in Southern California relative to teaching online, technology use, and teaching methods. The majority of faculty reported being unconcerned about teaching online. The correlations conducted between faculty’s concerns about teaching online and their teaching methods showed that while some relationships exist, the strength of the relationships are weak. The same was true for the relationships between faculty’s technology use and their concern about teaching online. Additionally, analysis of variance revealed faculty who practice more student-centered teaching methods are more likely to focus on coordinating and cooperating with others regarding teaching online. It can be concluded that the majority of faculty at the institution are not concerned about teaching online and that overall, their technology use and specific teaching methods do not contribute to their concerns about teaching online. However, it was found that faculty who are more student-centered are more likely to cooperate and coordinate with others in regards to teaching online. These findings have implications for the institution where this research was conducted. The administration can be more confident knowing that many of their faculty are not highly concerned about teaching online, therefore, may be less likely to resist teaching these types of classes. The administration now has information that shows faculty who are more student-centered are more likely to cooperate with others in regards to teaching online. These faculty may be more inclined to promote online teaching and ultimately help fulfill the strategic plans of the University.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Dissertations (EdD) -- Learning technologies; Education, Higher -- Computer-assisted instruction; Universities and colleges -- Faculty -- Attitudes; Internet in education

Date of Award

2016

School Affiliation

Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Department/Program

Education

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctorate

Faculty Advisor

Sparks, Paul;

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