In-depth Examination of Attitudes towards Distance Education in Students Attending a Special Education Preparation Program

Abstract

Students’ attitudes towards Distance Education (DE) could easily affect a relative program’s success, as well as participants’ satisfaction. This is why a DE provider should examine future or current participants’ attitudes. The aim of the present study was to examine the attitudes towards DE in the context of an online program on the field of special education. Six hundred and ninety-one participants answered a questionnaire of 22 items and 3 subscales concerning attitudes. The results revealed slightly positive attitudes (as a whole) towards DE, slightly positive attitudes as far as the affective component was concerned, definitely positive attitudes regarding their beliefs about DE and their intention to participate in a DE program, and negative attitudes towards DE when it was compared to the traditional model. Moreover, the analysis revealed no possible impact of age and gender on participants’ attitudes. Findings of the present study could be very useful in planning DE programs for special education teachers/ trainees.