Investigation of attitudinal factors towards the transition from face-to-face to e-learning in Tanzanian higher learning institutions: a mixed methods approach
This study investigated attitudinal factors in the transition from face-to-face to e-learning in Tanzanian higher learning institutions. Five objectives guided the study: first, it examined teachers’ understanding of e-learning. Secondly, it examined teachers’ attitudes towards e-learning. Further it developed an e-learning attitude scale. It also explored barriers that can hinder the transition from face-to-face to e-learning and finally, it identified strategies that can optimise teachers’ and students’ involvement in e-learning. The Technology Acceptance Model (Davis 1986) guided this study and a Test of e-Learning Related Attitudes (TeLRA) scale was developed to assess the teachers’ attitudes. The study used a mixed methods approach under the umbrella of pragmatic philosophical assumption. It involved 269 respondents, obtained through stratified simple random sampling and purposive sampling. Questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and documentary review were used in data collection. All quantitative and qualitative data were respectively analysed using statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) and thematic analysis. Chi-square, logistic regression and multiple regression were performed to examine the association of variables and their predictive power. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to derive empirical constructs from the developed TeLRA scale. The findings revealed that teaching experience and qualifications had a statistically significant contribution to teachers’ understanding of e-learning. Computer exposure and e-learning understanding had a statistically significant contribution to teachers’ attitudes toward e-learning. Poor infrastructure, financial constraints, inadequate support, lack of e-learning knowledge and teachers’ resistance to change also had a strong influence on the adoption of e-learning. The study also showed that teacher-to-students and students-to-content interactions as useful strategies to optimise teachers’ and students’ involvement in e-learning. Findings from this study have contributed to knowledge based on teachers’ understanding of, and attitudes towards e-learning in Tanzania and assisted in developing a factorial valid and reliable attitude scale measure. It is recommended that training in e-learning needs to be provided to teachers to widen their understanding of e-learning. There is also a need to strengthen factors associated with teachers’ positive attitudes towards e-learning and to address the barriers identified in this study.
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