Presenting a Conceptual Model for Investigating Faculty Participation Main Worries and Inhibitors

Abstract

Currently, many universities all over the world invest in e-learning implementation. One of most important groups influencing this work are faculty members. However, plenty of studies reported faculty resistant to adopt new technologies as a basic challenge against developing e-learning program. According to these studies, faculty remarked broad listing of inhibitor factors- such as lack of time, lack of institutional support, lack of scholarly respect in the areas of promotion and tenure, and lack of training- as their obstacles in participating in e-learning program. However, list of inhibiting factors for faculty participation in distance education is lengthy. Therefore, the researcher proposed one model to record the various factors found within literature studies. According to this model, inhibiting factors are grouped into three categories which included personal (based on habits and individual treatment of faculty) attitudinal (based on faculty attitudes about per se specification of e-learning environment) and contextual (based on institute shortage of supply and institutional support). Upon this categorization, the researcher investigates issues that affect the above notions.