Analyzing the attitudes of Iranian university faculty toward e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Montazer, Gh. A.; Abbasi, Z.; Farazkish, M.

doi:10.22061/tej.2026.12316.3284

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

¹ Department of Information Technology Engineering, School of Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Technology Management and Entrepreneurship, Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

³ Department of Policy Evaluation & STI Monitoring, National Research Institute for Science Policy, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22061/tej.2026.12316.3284

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Faculty attitudes toward e-learning are a key factor in the acceptance, adoption, and utilization of this technology in universities. A positive attitude can facilitate implementation and lay the groundwork for successful use of new technologies, while a negative attitude constitutes a serious barrier to achieving educational goals. The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented situation in which Iranian higher education was broadly and compulsorily shifted toward e-learning. This sudden transformation made examining faculty attitudes during this period—and understanding its various dimensions—a strategic priority. The present study aimed to analyze the attitudes of faculty members at Iranian universities toward e-learning and to examine the extent to which these attitudes changed during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Methods: To measure faculty attitudes, a localized framework tailored to Iranian conditions was first developed. This framework was built upon a review of documents and prior research, as well as a survey of 63 experts in the field of e-learning. Within this framework, faculty attitudes were classified into two main domains: internal factors (cognitive, affective, and behavioral) and external factors (organizational, technical, and facilitating environment), with relevant indicators and measures extracted for each component. Data were then collected through an online survey at two time points: first at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic (early 2020) and again at its conclusion (late 2021). The statistical population comprised 5,856 faculty members in the first assessment and 7,400 in the second, drawn from universities across the country. The collected data were analyzed using the developed framework to enable comparison of changes in faculty attitudes over the course of the period.
Findings: The results indicate that the mean overall faculty attitude toward e-learning increased from 4.74 at the onset of the crisis to 5.11 at its conclusion—a statistically significant improvement over time, reflecting a gradual growth in adaptation and acceptance of e-learning within the academic community. However, this improvement was driven more by gains in structural, institutional, and facilitating environment components than by increases in faculty satisfaction or intrinsic motivation. Accordingly, while the performance of Iranian higher education during the crisis may be considered acceptable from an institutional and structural standpoint, sustaining faculty motivation, active engagement, and intrinsic satisfaction remains a fundamental challenge on the path to consolidating e-learning.
Conclusions: It can be concluded that although the COVID-19 crisis propelled the higher education system toward the use of e-learning technologies, this forced migration did not lead to notable improvement in the internal dimensions of faculty attitudes. The rise in mean attitude scores, while indicative of gradual progress and universities’ capacity to adapt to crisis conditions, will only be sustained if accompanied by deeper reforms in the motivational, interactive, and perceptual domains. The future of e-learning depends not only on technological development, but on a deeper understanding of human attitudes and experiences at the heart of the teaching–learning process. The findings of this study can serve as a basis for higher education policymakers in designing professional development programs, improving technological infrastructure, and fostering intrinsic motivation among faculty, so that e-learning may transition from a compulsory necessity to a conscious and sustainable choice.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Electronic learning- virtual

COPYRIGHTS
© 2026 The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

References

[1] United Nations. Universal Declaration of Human Rights [Internet]. New York: United Nations; 1948.

[2] UNESCO. Convention against discrimination in education [Internet]. Paris: UNESCO; 1960.

[3] Downes S. E-learning 2.0. eLearn. 2005;2005(10):1.

https://doi.org/10.1145/1104966.1104968

[4] Qashou A. Obstacles to effective use of e-learning in higher education from the viewpoint of faculty members. Turk Online J Distance Educ. 2022;23(1):144–77.

[5] Meraj J, Ahmed Z, Mustafa G, Rashid A, Ahmed B. Analysing students’ attitudes towards e-learning: empirical evidence from Baluchistan’s higher education sector. Crit Rev Soc Sci Stud. 2025;3(1):1–20.

[6] Kisanga DH. Determinants of teachers’ attitudes towards e-learning in Tanzanian higher learning institutions. Int Rev Res Open Distrib Learn. 2016;17(5):109–25.

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v17i5.2720

[7] Zabadi AM, Al-Alawi AH. University students’ attitudes towards e-learning: University of Business & Technology (UBT), Saudi Arabia, Jeddah: a case study. Int J Bus Manag. 2016;11(6):286–95. https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v11n6p286

[8] Statista. E-learning market size worldwide from 2019 to 2026, by segment [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2026 Sep 15].

[9] Alhumaid K, Ali S, Waheed A, Zahid E, Habes M. COVID-19 and e-learning: perceptions and attitudes of teachers towards e-learning acceptance in developing countries. Multicult Educ. 2020;6(2):100–15.

[10] Alasmari MA. The attitudes of public-school teachers towards e-learning in Saudi Arabia. Arab World Engl J. 2022;2nd Special Issue on COVID-19 Challenges:245–57.

https://doi.org/10.24093/awej/covid2.16

[11] Farazkish M, Montazer G. Assessing e-learning readiness of human resources in Iranian universities. Organ Resour Manag Res. 2020;9(4):139–64. [In Persian]

[12] Donya-e-Eqtesad. The decline in the quality of virtual education [Internet]. 2022 Dec 26. [In Persian]

[13] Montazer G, Gashool Darehsibi T, Abbasi MH. Identifying the technological drivers of e-learning and analyzing them in Iran’s higher education: emphasizing engineering education. Iran J Eng Educ. 2022;24(95):27–56. [In Persian]

https://doi.org/10.22047/ijee.2022.230914.1744

[14] Abbasi Kasani H, Yousefi H. Quality assessment of Iranian universities during the COVID-19 pandemic [Internet]. Tehran: Islamic Consultative Assembly Research Center; 2023 Jan 8. [In Persian]

[15] Entekhab News. Minister of Science: cancellation of the ban on virtual education for universities [Internet]. 2024 Dec 20. [In Persian]

[16] KhabarFoori. Tehran schools closed for 50 days in the last 100 days [Internet]. 2025 Mar 1. [In Persian]

[17] Albirini A. Teachers’ attitudes toward information and communication technologies: the case of Syrian EFL teachers. Comput Educ. 2006;47(4):373–98.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2004.10.013

[18] Du J, Phongsatha T. Teachers’ continuance intention to use e-learning platforms for blended teaching in the post-epidemic era. Int J Sociol Anthropol Sci Rev. 2025;5(1):419–36.

https://doi.org/10.60027/ijsasr.2025.5364

[19] Mahdizadeh H, Biemans H, Mulder M. Determining factors of the use of e-learning environments by university teachers. Comput Educ. 2008;51(1):142–54.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2007.04.004

[20] Akbarilakeh M, Razzaghi A, Delavar Pour Moghaddam H. Attitudes of faculty members towards using e-learning. Res Dev Med Educ. 2019;8(1):12–9.

https://doi.org/10.15171/rdme.2019.003

[21] Alkhalaf S, Drew S, AlGhamdi R, Alfarraj O. E-learning system on higher education institutions in KSA: attitudes and perceptions of faculty members. Procedia Soc Behav Sci. 2012;47:1199–205.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.800

[22] Liaw SS, Huang HM, Chen GD. Surveying instructor and learner attitudes toward e-learning. Comput Educ. 2007;49(4):1066–80.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2006.01.001

[23] Zamani BE, Esfijani A, Abdellahi Damaneh SM. Major barriers for participating in online teaching in developing countries from Iranian faculty members’ perspectives. Australas J Educ Technol. 2016;32(3):38–49.

https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.2678

[24] Farazkish M, Montazer G. Assessment of students’ perceptual readiness for e-learning in Iranian universities. Technol Educ J. 2020;15(1):101–17.

https://doi.org/10.22061/tej.2020.6051.2324 [In Persian].

[25] Bhatia RP. Features and effectiveness of e-learning tools. Glob J Bus Manag Inf Technol. 2011;1(1):1–7.

[26] Brumini G, Špalj S, Mavrinac M, Biočina-Lukenda D, Strujić M, Brumini M. Attitudes towards e-learning among dental students at Croatian universities. Eur J Dent Educ. 2014;18(1):15–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12068

[27] Karasneh R, Al-Azzam S, Muflih S, Hawamdeh S, Muflih M, Khader Y. Attitudes and practices of educators towards e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Electron J e-Learn. 2021;19(4):252–61. https://doi.org/10.34190/ejel.19.4.2350

[28] Hussein HB. Attitudes of Saudi universities faculty members towards using learning management system (JUSUR). Turk Online J Educ Technol. 2011;10(2):43–53.

[29] Al Gamdi MA, Samarji A. Perceived barriers towards e-learning by faculty members at a recently established university in Saudi Arabia. Int J Inf Educ Technol. 2016;6(1):23–8. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJIET.2016.V6.652

[30] Teo T. Modelling technology acceptance in education: a study of pre-service teachers. Comput Educ. 2009;52(2):302–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2008.08.006

[31] Venkatesh V, Morris MG, Davis GB, Davis FD. User acceptance of information technology: toward a unified view. MIS Q. 2003;27(3):425–78. https://doi.org/10.2307/30036540

[32] Panda S, Mishra S. E-learning in a mega open university: faculty attitude, barriers and motivators. Educ Media Int. 2007;44(4):323–38.

https://doi.org/10.1080/09523980701680854

[33] Newton R. Staff attitudes to the development and delivery of e-learning. New Libr World. 2003;104(10):412–25.

https://doi.org/10.1108/03074800310504357

[34] Soleymani M, Choobchian S, Amghani MS. Multidimensional participation dynamics in community-driven rural regeneration: insights from Bouin-Zahra. Soc Sci Humanit Open. 2026; 14:103181.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2026.103181

[35] Turgut T, Okur S, Satici SA, Griffiths MD. Zoom fatigue and integrated anxiety-stress: the mediating roles of mind wandering and boredom proneness. Technol Soc. 2025; 81:102892.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2025.102892

[36] Sarangal R, Nargotra M. Digital fatigue among students in the current COVID-19 pandemic: a study of higher education. Gurukul Bus Rev. 2022;18, 63-71.

https://doi.org/10.48205/GBR.V18.5

[37] Gregersen EM, Astrupgaard SL, Jespersen MH, Gårdhus TP, Albris K. Digital dependence: online fatigue and coping strategies during the COVID-19 lockdown. Media Cult Soc. 2023;45(5):967–84.

https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437231154781

[38] Hodges C, Moore S, Lockee B, Trust T, Bond A. The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning [Internet]. EDUCAUSE Rev. 2020 Mar 27.

[39] OECD. The state of higher education: one year into the COVID-19 pandemic. Paris: OECD Publishing; 2021.

https://doi.org/10.1787/83c41957-en

[40] Deci EL, Ryan RM. The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychol Inq. 2000;11(4):227–68.

https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01

[41] Ryan RM, Deci EL. Self-determination theory: basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. New York: Guilford Press; 2017.

[42] Sweller J. Cognitive load theory. In: Mestre JP, Ross BH, editors. Psychology of learning and motivation. Vol. 55. New York: Academic Press; 2011. p. 37–76.

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-387691-1.00002-8