Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the motivational belief system components, self-efficacy, learning goal orientation, and hope, during the transition to a new learning management system, as well as the relationship between the motivational belief system and technology adoption. It addressed three research questions: (1a) Are the measures within the Faculty Beliefs Regarding Technology Adoption Scale distinct and reliable? (1b) Are domain specific measures of hope, self-efficacy, and learning goal orientation distinct and reliable? (2) What are the beliefs regarding technology adoption among faculty at community colleges across Mississippi? (3) What is the relationship among hope, self-efficacy, and learning goal orientation and beliefs regarding technology adoption? Participants were full-time and adjunct faculty members at community colleges across Mississippi (N = 288). Results indicated that all measures were reliable and distinct. Community college faculty members were positive in their beliefs regarding technology adoption including comfort with technology, technology use, and institutional support. Females and adjunct faculty members reported greater technology use; older faculty with more teaching experience reported less comfort with technology; and faculty with more online teaching experience reported less institutional support. All motivation measures were positively correlated to all beliefs regarding technology measures. However, a path model revealed that learning goal orientation and hope agency were the only measures that were significantly related to all beliefs regarding technology adoption. Hope pathways was only significantly related to comfort with technology, and self-efficacy was not significantly related to any of the beliefs regarding technology adoption. A discussion of the results and implications for practice follows the findings.
