Development of a Perceptions of Online Learning Scale to Assess Teachers’ Beliefs

Abstract

During the COVID pandemic, the sudden switch to online learning brought an unintended spotlight to this gradually expanding educational innovation. However, while numerous tools exist to assess student perceptions of or readiness for online learning quantitatively, a research gap exists regarding teachers' perceptions of online learning. To facilitate future research among teachers, the authors describe the development of a new perceptions of online learning scale (POOLS). The POOLS seeks to measure teachers' perceptions of online learning across four theoretical constructs associated with quality education in online and traditional face-to-face formats. The POOLS was constructed using expert review and a sample (N=654), where an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted on split halves of these data. The results of this initial validation study provide the basis for using the POOLS as an approach to measuring four aspects of perceptions of online learning: Effective Learning ( ${\text{ω}}^2$ = 0.77), Student-Centered Learning ( ${\text{ω}}^2$ = 0.67), Interactive Learning ( ${\text{ω}}^2$ = 0.73), and Engaged Learning ( ${\text{ω}}^2$ = 0.66). We recommend that the POOLS be used in research settings to describe the relationship among POOLS factors and other characteristics such as self-efficacy, amount or type of experience with online learning, and personality traits.