Investigating adoption of instructors to distance education environment

This study aims to investigate the adaptation process of instructors to distance education environment and to determine the factors affecting this adaptation process. For these purposes, the theoretical framework and plan of the study were designed and then, the research was carried out with three instructors. Ethnographic case study method was adopted in this study. The adaptation process of three instructors to distance education environment and factors affecting this process were investigated for the period of 15 weeks using predominantly ethnographic research approaches. The data were collected through observations, field notes, provocations and interviews and then, analyzed employing qualitative approaches, which were document analyses, discourse analyses and content analyses. MAXQDA software was used for analyses of the obtained data. As a result of study, the adaptation process of the instructors were modelled as stages and linked with the relevant literature. According to the findings of the study, the adaptation process of the instructors was consisted of five stages, which are recognitıon, awareness, change, transformation and adaptation. Also, the factors affecting to adaptation process of the instructors were determined. These factors were grouped under three main themes named as individual factors, organizational factors and online teaching capabilities. It was understood that individual factors and organizational factors strongly affected the online learning capabilities of the instructors during the adaptation process of distance education environment. Considering the results of study, in order to facilitate the adaptation process of instructors to distance education environment, suggestions were made for distance education organizations, instructors and future studies. Key Words: Distance Education, Adoption Process of Instructors, Factors Affecting Adoption Process of Instructors, Ethnographic Case Study