Factors Affecting Academics’ Involvement in TEL Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Abstract

Reinforcing the level of essentiality of understanding the factors that influence the involvement in TEL-oriented CPD and the challenges to the sustained expansion of their expertise not only for academics, but also professional bodies and educational developer for effective integration of digital technologies in teaching and learning remains is the current emphasis on strategic continuing professional development (CPD) programmes of technology enhanced learning (TEL) within higher education. A naturalistic approach and making use of qualitative method were applied in achieving the inquiry, using semi-structured interviews. The perceptions and views of twelve academics from one college in Qassim University (QU) in Saudi Arabia is going to be explored and discussed during this study; although academics had both internal and external motivations towards the value of involvement into TEL CPD opportunities, the findings indicated that significant challenges existed to the active participation of TEL programmes, including time and workload, relevant and realistic programme content that address needs, opportunities to practise the use of TEL, and accessibility and awareness. Furthermore, the fundamental conclusion of this paper that should be taken into account is that the vast majority of academics would like to involve and also value the importance of TEL CPD when their inhabiting factors are addressed; so as to impact positively on their academics into TEL CPD, the sufficient role of management support and institutional culture within Saudi organisations of higher education are highly recommended.

Keywords: Continuing Professional Development (CPD), Technology-enhanced Learning (TEL), Involvement, Lecturers.