Faculty Resistance to Change

Abstract

This study explored university faculty members' willingness to teach online in relation to their resistance to change. Researchers examined whether a relationship exists between resistance to change and motivators or barriers to teaching online. Participants were 131 faculty members of all ranks from a private, comprehensive university in the greater Los Angeles area. Participants reported such barriers as their discipline not being suited to online teaching, an absence of time for online course preparation, and a lack of skills or confidence in teaching online. Reported motivators included financial incentives, increased flexibility, and keeping current with various modes of delivery. Reported barriers were positively correlated with faculty's resistance to change, demonstrating that faculty who were reluctant to change their routines, had negative reactions to the presence of change, and saw short-term change as inconvenient were more likely to see barriers to teaching online. Faculty rank was related to certain study variables. Implications for these findings are discussed.