2026 Theses Doctoral

On the Fence but Bridging the Gap: A Mixed Methods Study of Stakeholder Perceptions of Faculty Hesitancy Toward Online Learning and Its Diffusion in a Post-pandemic Era

Fleurimond, Ariel

This dissertation explores the conditions shaping faculty hesitancy toward online learning in a post-COVID era. This period was characterized by rapid change and dependence on remote modalities. Although online learning has experienced an extensive history and has become a permanent staple of higher education strategy, faculty reception remains mixed. While prior research has examined the persistent barriers hindering widespread online learning adoption by faculty, less is known about how faculty and administrators perceive the phenomenon of faculty hesitancy, particularly after the widespread exposure to online modalities during and after the pandemic. Guided by Rogers’s (2003) Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory, this study examines the complex issue of hesitancy and how it influences adoption within higher education ecosystems.

This dissertation uses a mixed-methods design to expand on the breadth of the existing research and add the additional depth of stakeholder perspectives. Combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews across faculty and administrators enabled a deeper exploration of the points of alignment and areas of divergence between these key stakeholders.

The findings suggest several central themes. First, faculty and administrators tend to agree on some commonly cited barriers, but there continues to be misalignment between their perceptions of the consequential barriers to adoption. Second, faculty remain pragmatic, perceiving hesitancy as being driven by newly identified barriers, such as pedagogical incompatibility, poor engagement, rather than technical difficulties. Administrators, on the other hand, remain positive about the value of online learning and believe barriers can be mitigated with more training and support. However, these supports often emphasize technical training over pedagogical preparation for online teaching and learning. Without explicit attention to pedagogy, faculty—and, by extension, their students—may struggle to develop confidence and shared expectations in online environments, reinforcing discomfort rather than adoption.

Additionally, an analysis of adopter innovativeness suggests that most faculty may be comfortable with online learning after its diffusion post-COVID. Innovators and early adopters believed online effectiveness was conditional, further implying that faculty hesitancy is shaped less by technology acceptance and more by deeper pedagogical concerns. These findings underscore the need for institutional strategies that address the social aspect of innovation and organizational change. Drawing on DOI adopter categories and innovation-decision models, this study contributes to the literature by clarifying how faculty and administrator perspectives converge and diverge, offering strategies for shared governance and sustainable diffusion of online programming in higher education.