Examination of the relationship between the middle school students' readiness towards online learning and the perception of transactional distance in the period of emergency remote teaching

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the readiness for online learning and transactional distance perceptions of secondary school students during the emergency remote teaching period during the Covid-19 pandemic. For this purpose, correlational research model, one of the quantitative methods, was used in the research. The study group of the research consisted of 221 secondary school students who were selected by convenient sampling method, who were educated by emergency remote teaching during the pandemic period. Data collection was carried out using Transactional Distance Perception Scale and Online Learning Readiness Scale in Blended Learning Environments. Learner control was found to be a significant predictor for all dimensions of transactional distance perception. While learner control and online communication self-efficacy were found to be significant predictors in the dimensions of dialogue, structure flexibility and content organization, which are the dimensions of transactional distance perception; computer internet self-efficacy, self-directed learning, motivation for learning were not found to be significant predictors. Furthermore, self-directed learning and learner control were found to be significant predictors of student control and autonomy from transactional distance perception dimensions, but computer internet self-efficacy, motivation for learning, online communication self-efficacy were not found to be significant predictors.