Factors that influence lecturers' participation in Distance education: The case of the university of Nairobi

Abstract

This article sought to identify the factors that influence lecturers' participation in distance education among the various colleges of the University of Nairobi. A structured questionnaire was administered to a stratified sample of lecturers in all the six colleges. Factor analysis was used to obtain and rank the most important factors. The findings concurred with previous studies conducted in both developed and developing countries which showed that: increased time commitment and workload; lack of extrinsic incentives or rewards and lack of technical, administrative and pedagogical support are the main factors influencing participation in distance education by lecturers. It is apparent that the adoption rate of distance education instructional delivery modes among University of Nairobi lecturers is low and this has hampered its spread to all disciplines. The findings indicate the need for technical and administrative support to lecturers and the provision of incentives such as promotion based on distance education course materials, payment for development of study materials and a clear policy on intellectual property rights.