Exploring Factors Limiting Participation in an Online Training Program for College Teachers from Developing Countries

Abstract

<p>Online video courses allow large-scale distribution of educational resources and thus provide a feasible platform for cross-regional teacher professional development (TPD). However, with most studies focusing on TPD using online video courses in developed countries, less attention was paid to factors influencing the online learning experience of teachers from less developed areas. Therefore, this pilot study aims at exploring predictors of 3471 college teachers' online learning engagement. First, the results of a multivariate linear regression (MLR) revealed that at the individual level, there was a significant positive relationship between teachers' age and learning duration. At the institutional level, participants from the partner institutions had longer learning durations. At the country level, there was a significant positive relationship between country literacy rates and learning durations. Then, another MLR on relationships between self-reported learning perceptions after taking the course and learning durations was conducted. Results showed that learners' prior knowledge was negatively associated with learning durations. There was a significantly positive relationship between “recommend this platform to others” and learning duration. The findings can inform us of the factors that may have been overlooked when supporting college teachers' online professional learning in developing countries.</p>