The Role of Tech-Enhanced Personal and Institutional-Wide Support on Educator Self-Efficacy: Understanding the Utility of Innovative Learning Hubs in Higher Education Institutes
摘要
Today, higher education institutions invest heavily in innovative learning hubs and studios to provide educators with the necessary training and support to deliver technologically-enhanced educational content. However, the degree to which tailored personal, professional, or institutional-wide support results in improved technological- and student engagement-related educator self-efficacy is not known. This study uses a small sample of university educators from a research-intensive university in Kazakhstan, Central Asia (N = 47), and makes use of structural equation modelling, to present a good-fitting Model of Higher Education EdTech Support on Educator Self-Efficacy. We identify a substantive and statistically significant effect of the quality of tailored personal and professional support on educators’ tech-related self-efficacy (β = .69, p < .016). However, we found that the quality of institutional-wide tech support had no association with any form of educator self-efficacy. We conclude that, institutions looking to improve educators’ tech-related self-efficacy should ensure that innovative learning hubs and studios focus on providing tailored personal and professional support for individual faculty. Ideas for future research directions are provided.