Novice Undergraduate Instructors’ Perceived Readiness for Teaching Online in Higher Education

The purpose of this study was to investigate novice undergraduate instructors’ perceived readiness for online teaching in higher education. This study explored technological and pedagogical readiness and the use of university supports and resources. It broadened Martin, Budhrani, and Wang’s study (2019) to include feedback on professional development for online learning. The current study was conducted using a survey research design. Participants were asked to complete a modified version of the Faculty Readiness to Teach Online survey (Martin, Budhrani, & Wang, 2019). The sample consisted of a small group of participants who were all undergraduate adjuncts within various age groups and who had not taught an online course prior to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher intended to examine faculty characteristics related to pedagogical and technological readiness; however, because the final sample was homogeneous by gender and rank, an exploration of the relationship between faculty characteristics and readiness was not possible. Despite their level of experience, all the participants stated that some form of professional development to teach online was essential for preparing their online courses pedagogically and technologically. Ultimately, most participants believed that they were ready to teach their courses online under such unprecedented constraints