Professional development in the transition to online teaching: The voice of entrant online instructors

Abstract

Professional development (PD) is critical for instructors who are adopting new roles and competencies in online teaching environments. This mixed-method study examines an online faculty development programme in Turkey, reflecting upon participants' expectations, readiness and satisfaction. The findings indicate a significant relationship between individual readiness and satisfaction, and reveal that readiness positively predicts satisfaction. Participants' reflections demonstrate that, to enhance their traditional roles, they need competencies for online learning environments and active practice in real-life applications. PD is important for introducing the new pedagogies required and for integration of technology, while the adoption of new roles is key to developing competent online instructors who have a positive attitude to online learning.