University Teachers' Perceptions of Their Competencies in Online Teaching

Abstract

Online teaching, emerging as a fundamental paradigm in higher education, has marked a significant transformation in the current educational landscape. The objective of this study was to examine the competencies of faculty members at the State University of Milagro in online courses. A quantitative methodology with a non-experimental descriptive and explanatory design was adopted. It focused on analyzing the perceptions of a representative sample of 277 teachers. Data collection was conducted through a structured survey, specifically designed to assess various aspects of online teaching. This survey was distributed using Google Forms, ensuring research ethics through informed consent from the participants. Among the most relevant results, the following stand out: a balanced distribution of gender (χ² = 3.60, p = 0.46) and academic rank (χ² = 4.30, p = 0.23) was observed, suggesting that the sample is representative and not biased towards a specific gender or academic rank. Moreover, the experience in online teaching (χ² = 6.20, p = 0.28) shows a wide diversity, ranging from novices to experts, providing a comprehensive understanding of online educational practices. It is highlighted that the competencies "Providing a consistent course structure" and "Ensuring alignment between objectives, content, and assessment" received the highest ratings, at approximately 4.55. From these results, it is concluded that the correlations between different roles within the virtual educational environment indicate significant interactions among various competencies.