Analysis of the epistemological components of the third generation of distance education

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Professor of Educational Sciences, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor at Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The present study was conducted with the purpose of investigating the epistemological components of the third generation of distance education. In terms of research orientation, this research is fundamental theoretical research. This type of educational environment is based on the constructivist approach. Based on this, 25 academic experts and senior managers of higher education were selected and interviewed. In this approach, strategies are provided to learners to help them learn how to learn and construct meanings. Each scientific discipline fundamentally follows a specific philosophy in order to theorize. The present research is categorized as fundamental theoretical research in terms of research orientation. In terms of data collection method, it was conducted with a qualitative approach. In order to identify the dimensions of the main components of the third-generation epistemology model of distance education, a thematic analysis strategy and a network of themes have been employed with the help of semi-structured interviews.  The statistical population includes academic experts and senior and middle managers in higher education who are knowledgeable in the field of educational philosophy, particularly in the discussion of epistemology. Based on this, 25 university specialists were interviewed. To validate the coding process and ensure quality in the qualitative section, the Cohen's Kappa statistic was used for the epistemological dimensions. To calculate the Kappa statistic, a knowledgeable individual was asked to code and categorize the themes without being informed of the researcher's coding. Then, using the SPSS software, the themes presented by the researcher were compared with the themes provided by the expert. The statistical results showed that the codes of these two researchers were close to each other, indicating a high level of agreement between these two coders and demonstrating reliability. The kappa coefficient was calculated to be 0.856, which falls under the category of excellent agreement.  The comprehensive themes extracted from the epistemology of the third generation of distance education are categorized into 5 areas: individual competency, social interaction competency at the international level, constructive teaching competency, virtual space support, assessment and supervision support, and organizing.

Keywords

References

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History

  • Receive Date: 05 December 2024
  • Revise Date: 22 February 2025
  • Accept Date: 26 March 2025
  • First Publish Date: 26 March 2025
  • Publish Date: 22 June 2025

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