Date of Award

6-2008

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Educational Leadership, Research and Technology

First Advisor

Dr. Andrea L. Beach

Second Advisor

Dr. Brian S. Horvitz

Third Advisor

Dr. Mary L. Anderson

Abstract

Nurse educators are being challenged to adapt to rapidly changing educational and health care environments. Higher education is under pressure to facilitate more web-based learning courses to reach wider markets of students. Nurse faculties are also being pressured to incorporate more technology into theory courses as a possible solution to a looming nation-wide nurse and nurse faculty shortage. Some faculty have enthusiastically embraced the new technology behind online teaching, while others remain concerned about online teaching effectiveness and course quality.

The purpose of this study was to examine variables that affect nurse faculty self-efficacy levels and participation in online teaching. Specifically, this study sought to understand the variables that might correlate with high or low self-efficacy perceptions of online teaching. This study surveyed all nurse educators teaching lecture courses during winter/spring 2008 semester at public, accredited higher education institutions in Michigan. Out of an estimated population size of 327, the subsequent overall response rate was 43% or 140 participants.

A primary finding from this study was that nurse educators have some to quite a bit of online teaching efficacy. Levels of online teaching efficacy were not related to gender, age, appointment type or general teaching experience. High online teaching efficacy was related to the mastery experience of having taught an entire online course and participation in preparatory experiences for online teaching such as courses and seminars in online teaching. The highest levels of online teaching efficacy resulted after teaching at least three online courses. Finally, respondents with and without online teaching experience agreed that release time was necessary to develop online courses.

In summary, this study has implications for administrators in higher education encouraging nurse faculty to participate in online teaching. Important motivating variables appear to include the use of satisfactory preparatory experiences and release time through the third online teaching experience. These experiences are related to higher online teaching efficacy which correlates to participation in online teaching.

Access Setting

Dissertation-Open Access

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