What motivate learners to continue a professional development program through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)?: A lens of self-determination theory

Çakiroğlu Ü., Özkan A., Çevi̇k İ., Kutlu D., KAHYAR S.

Education and Information Technologies, cilt.29, sa.6, ss.7027-7051, 2024 (SSCI) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 29 Sayı: 6
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s10639-023-12087-8
  • Dergi Adı: Education and Information Technologies
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Communication Abstracts, EBSCO Education Source, Educational research abstracts (ERA), ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), INSPEC
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.7027-7051
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: MOOCs, Online learning, Self-determination, Teacher professional development
  • Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The field of online professional development is in ongoing growth, and motivation has been identified as a critical factor in online courses. Somewhat different from the common courses delivered through MOOCs, this study investigates learning processes in compulsory courses. The study aims to understand the motivational factors influential on the behaviors of faculty members in a compulsory professional development program. The participants included 11 instructors who completed the program. Within the lens of self-determination theory, the motivation of instructors was determined through semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed through content analysis. Prominent factors affecting motivation were found as (a) the nature of professional development, (b) teaching materials, (c) evaluation, (d) learning environment, and (e) external factors (compulsory participation, environmental pressure). Attending a compulsory course is discussed in terms of self-determination theory. The implications of notable findings and directions for future studies are also discussed.