Examination of attitudes towards teaching online courses based on theory of reasoned action of university faculty in Taiwan

This study examined attitudes of university faculty specialising in the field of human resource (HR) in Taiwan towards participation in the teaching of online courses using the theory of reasoned action (TRA). The population targeted for investigation consisted of the full-time university faculty in the HR field in Taiwan regardless of their experience in the teaching online courses of any kind. Survey development included a detailed literature review to identify beliefs that guided measurement construction and followed the guidelines recommended by Ajzen and Fishbein (1980) to ensure construct validity. Data were collected on TRA constructs and demographic variables using the questionnaire mailed to 278 faculty members targeted for the study. A 42% (n = 116) response rate was achieved after one round of the follow-up through emailing. The significant predictor variables, attitude and subjective social norm were confirmed. In other words, results of analyses evidenced the contribution of TRA to explaining the underlying beliefs that enhance or thwart participation. Additionally, faculty in this study possessed positive attitudes towards the participation in online teaching, and further analyses supported the use of TRA in this research context.